Mine
by Chrnocatfleas
Summary: Starts from when the contract is made. The intermediate years, when Rosette is still in training. Chapter 13 is basically where I enter the timeline for the anime and manga.
1. Chapter 1: The Contract

**Mine**  
by Chrnocatfleas

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo._  
  
_Author's note: My first ever reviews! Thanks so much to African Anime and Bronwen Stx for being my first reviewers. I totally agree with everyone when they say that the manga is much better. Anyway, I decided to attempt a fic about the manga this time. Remember how in volume 5, Rosette had a freaky dream about a vampiric Chrno? And in volume 6, didn't Magdalena tell Chrno that a bit of blood was required to make the contract? This is going to be an AU, which deviates slightly from the original story, Chrno's personality is going to be slightly different._

_"Underlined words are Rosette's_**" **_and _**"_Words in bold are Chrno's"_**

_I only have the manga in Japanese, so I actually borrowed the words of the actual script from Episode 10, subbed by chronoGen._

_Enjoy and please review._

* * *

_**Chapter 1: The Contract**_

**__**

**__**

_Chrno:_  
  
"If you have a contractor, then you can save him?"  
  
Oh Rosette, please do not ask this of me....

"Tell me! Please, tell me!"

She must know the danger of the thing that she will most definitely ask of me.

**"A contract is usually a sealing method that a demon user invokes in order to control demons when he summons them. By forcefully taking a certain element of human beings, it allows demons to use their abilities without requiring their horns to gather energy."**

A selfish bond, which took Magdalena away from me...leaving me to sink into a darkness deeper than that which surrounded me in the tomb of my beloved, until I was pulled back into the light by this girl...

**"The element that's used is a human's time to live."**

...a girl whose joy of life was shown in all that she said and did...

**"In other words, a person's soul."**

...I couldn't take such a thing away from her...

**"Let's think of some other way. There's still time."**

...I would not see another die because of me.

"But..."

Why must you insist upon this?

**"You'll suffer for the rest of your life. Also, it'll only last half as long as other people's lives."**

I could feel her stiffen with shock, though whether it was from my warning or suddenly harsh tone I could not tell.

**"Do you really want to live like that?"**

Do you truly wish to condemn yourself to an early death?

"I...said before...that I'd protect Joshua."

No...did you not heed what I said...  
  
"I thought I knew everything."

Your voice quavers, even as you try to be brave...  
  
"But I was wrong. He didn't want us to pity him."

...I understand that you fear for your brother, but what of yourself...  
  
"I don't want it to end like this, so...I have to go and tell him"

...why are you so willing to sacrifice yourself...  
  
"You're going to be an explorer, aren't you?"

...why must you be so much like her...  
  
"We're going to go places no one has been to before. And, you're going to record that into a book, right?"

You may not live to see that come to pass...  
  
"It's for Joshua, Chrno."

And what of you?  
  
"I have to go save him, so..."

Are you willing to carry such a burden, endure such pain?  
  
"Please...come with us on our dream. The three of us...let's go together."

Her tears, the forced smile....I held her in my arms, a small human, who I could easily break...yet she had broken me with her gentle plea. I could not refuse...even as I was pained by what I would have to do.  
  
**"I understand."**

I placed her on her feet and knelt in front of her.  
  
**"I'll make a contract with you, Rosette Christopher."**

I would do anything to make her smile again, that radiant smile which had stirred my heart and made it beat again.  
  
**"This is the symbol of our contract. A clock that marks the time in one's life."**

I will be hers, just as she would be mine.  
  
As she placed the clock around her neck, I rose to my feet.

**"This contract requires one more thing before it is complete. For the link to be forged, I need to take a bit of your blood."**  
  
She was shivering...was it the cold, the fear...or a bit of both...  
  
**"Don't worry, it will only be a small amount."** I remembered how Magdalena had reassured me, holding my hand to her chest, before my claws had pierced her...  
  
As I approached her, she looked down briefly and took a deep breath. Hesitantly I reached forth and tilted her chin up so that I could see her face. There was such trust in her eyes...  
  
I felt something flare up inside me. Rosette had faith...in me.

Me.

I felt a sudden possessive and protective rush of...something...for this human. I would protect her from anything. She would be mine, and nothing will take me from her, nor her from me.  
  
I bent down and scooped her up. Everything seemed so surreal. Even as Joshua's destructive power continued to rampage in the distance, I held Rosette, and time seemed to stand still for that one second. Flaring my wings, I took off, back towards the chaos and destruction. As Rosette relaxed, I bit her.  
  
She gasped in pain as my fangs sank into her neck. My response was to hold her closer even as I drew the blood from her. A clamping sound came from the clock, and I knew that the contract had been made. I was hers...just as she was mine, though she did not realize it yet.  
  
Retracting my fangs, I licked the wound once to stem the flow of blood before leaning back to look at Rosette.  
  
Rosette blushed slightly, reaching up unconsciously to touch the wound, before looking at me hopefully.  
  
"Is it done, then? Will we be able to help Joshua now?"  
  
She was slightly breathless, the clock was already beginning to move.  
  
**"We will find out soon enough."**

**_TBC_**  
  
_I don't really know what happens in between the scene where Chrno and Rosette makes the contract to where you see them again standing in front of the time frozen orphanage. So I think I'll just skip that bit. Just assume that some kind of huge explosion occurs and Joshua vanishes. Chrno, wounded, reverts back to child form. The next chapter will begin with the arrival of Remington. Please review. Thanks for making it all the way to the end of this chapter._

_I don't like the way the story is looking. I think it needs more space, coz the lines are clumping together. But when I use quickedit, and I press enter twice to try to get more spacing between each line, it doesn't seem to work. Can anyone explain to me why this happens and how to fix it._

_I just want to set it out so that there is more paragraphing, so that your eyes don't get so tired reading the story._


	2. Chapter 2: The Minister

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs   
  
to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.  
_

_  
  
Author's note: Yay! I feel so privileged! The first reviewer of this story is   
  
"Reisho and Touya"! Thank you very much for your kind words. I feel so warm and   
  
fuzzy now. Anyways, this chapter was hard to write coz I couldn't decide how I   
  
wanted Chrno to turn out. Oh well...

* * *

_  
  
**_Chapter 2: The Minister_**

**__**

**__**

_Rosette:  
_  
The silence was deafening. It was so cold. Joshua was gone.

I blinked back tears, feeling lost. Even though I had been watching, I still wasn't sure what had happened. When the contract had been forged, I had suddenly felt weak. Yet, though I knew that Chrno was slowly draining my soul, I had felt safe in his arms. As we were approaching Joshua, he had looked up, and screamed. That was before the world exploded and I had woken up to find myself on the ground with Chrno beside me in his younger form.

Chrno stirred. Surprised, I crawled over to him with a relieved smile. "Chrno."

He looked at me in concern. "Rosette...are you alright?" The smile faded, I felt tears prickling my eyes again. I cast my eyes to the ground. "I'm fine...but Joshua..." I was shivering.

I started when I felt myself being pulled forward. Chrno's arms encircled me.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered. I leaned into his embrace, sobbing, as he stroked my back soothingly.

Suddenly, he stiffened. In one fluid movement he had gotten to his feet, still hugging me to his chest. Surprised, I turned around to see what had startled my companion.

A man was standing there watching us. Minister Remington. I felt hope...here was someone who could help us...before that feeling was replaced by anger.  
  
"You!" I shrieked. "Where were you when all this happened?!"

He gave me a look which was both sad and regretful. His expression changed though, as his gaze shifted toward Chrno. It was totally devoid of emotion. "You are a demon." He stated flatly.

Chrno growled. "And you are the one who has been threatening to take Joshua away from Rosette. You said that he would be protected. A fine job you've done so far."

Remington stared at him for a long moment before focusing back onto me. "Come, Rosette." He said. Chrno's grip on me tightened. "There is nothing left for you here. I will take you back with me to the Magdala Order." He started forward, reaching his hand out to me.

"No!" I screamed, even as Chrno growled and backed away.

"You won't take her from me!" he snarled. Remington looked most displeased. Then his expression cleared, and he calmly said, "I can train you to be strong. I can help you find your brother." 

I froze. This could be the only chance we would have of finding Joshua. This man would have taken Joshua away from me. I did not trust him. But if he would help me to find Joshua...

Chrno was shaking in anger. "Rosette..." I wriggled out of his arms and turned to face him. "He can help us find Joshua, Chrno."

Chrno looked like he was battling with himself for a moment, before relenting.

"Fine. But..." he directed at fierce glare at Remington. "I am going with her." Remington merely stared at us for a moment, before nodding and motioning for us to get into the car. As Chrno was getting in, I could hear Remington warn him softly. "You will not be welcomed kindly at the place where we are headed." 

Chrno's response was to shut the door and pull me close to him, before glaring mutinously up at the Minister.

The trip was long and silent. It was cold, but the arms around me were warm, as I was lulled to sleep by a steady, rhythmic heartbeat.

**_TBC_**

**  
**  
_Yay! Another chapter done. Kind of corny though. Oh well. I love writing this,   
  
but I'm so untalented. I'm SORRYYYYY!!! I wanted to make Chrno much more   
  
aggressive than in the manga, then I kind of realized that this would change his   
  
relationship and attitude to other people at the Abbey (is that what you call   
  
it?). I didn't want him and Remington to hate each other just yet, I wanted to   
  
delve deeper and develop it slowly. But tell me what you think of how it's   
  
progressing so far.  
  
Please review, and again, congratulations and many thanks for reaching the end   
  
of this chapter._


	3. Chapter 3: Eyes

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.  
  
Author's note:  
  
Woohoo! Total reviews...4! Yay! Thank you so much!  
And now a message to my 3 most recent reviewers...  
  
NightElfCrawler: _

_Yeah, I know what you mean...Chrno's not really the vampire type. I didn't have it in the story originally, but I was suddenly inspired one night. In reference to the picture which you mentioned, I first saw it on the manga summaries on Devil Inside, that was before I bought the manga by the way. Then I was watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I was like, "Hmmm...Interesting..." _

_But I do agree that the normal Chrno would not be so vampiry and stuff. Still, this is just an exploration of a possible side of Chrno. But I welcome all suggestions and opinions. __As to Remington...I was gonna have a "confrontation" scene at first, but then it turned out too much like yours did, and I didn't want to plagiarize or anything. So...I kinda forgot about that detail when writing. Nonetheless, let's see what I shall do in this chapter to fix it up. _

_This should mostly be based on the manga, but it may sort of deviate into anime storyline every now and then. I'm not terribly sure since I haven't planned that far ahead. I don't even have a set story just yet. I just write whenever an idea comes. Um....if there are any inconsistencies in relation to the manga, it's because my copies are Japanese, and when I read it, it's like me reading French or Italian. I can sound out the words, even get the gist of what's going on, but I won't understand every little thing.  
  
Anyways, thanks heaps for reviewing. I think your story is awesome and I check everyday for updates. Your story inspired me to write, though I didn't get around to actually writing until very recently.  
  
ChibiSamiSala: _

_Wow, you're so kind. Thanks so much for reviewing. I hope you continue to follow the story. Chrno being vampire like was just for that one occasion in the first chapter. I don't think I'll have him biting anyone anytime in the foreseeable future, because he isn't actually a vampire anyway. Why did he bite her though? I'll explain that in later chapters, or the next depending if it fits into the story or not. _

_In this fic, Chrno is not evil, but he is not so nice either. He is a demon. And he will be dangerous and wild, though not just yet. I want to play around with his character a bit more first and get a feel of how I can portray him best.  
  
Irisgem:_

___  
This is actually in reply to your other review from my other fic, "Running". I did actually try to write emails to ff.net asking for a Chrno Crusade section. They didn't reply, so...I think it's a no...which is kind of crappy. Oh well. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
You guys have really made my day, thanks once again. Now...to the story!_

* * *

**_Chapter 3: Eyes_**  
  
_Remington:_  
  
They had fallen asleep. Or rather, Rosette had fallen asleep. The demon was too wary of me to let his guard down. Though his eyes were closed, he was still alert, still protectively holding the girl.  
  
I could not believe it when I first saw them in front of the orphanage. The girl I had known well enough. Every time I came to the orphanage, she would disappear with her brother for hours on end. When I did see her, I could feel the hostility radiating from her. It had been shocking to see her on the ground sobbing in the arms of a boy who I had not seen before. But then he had looked up.  
  
Those eyes. I knew those eyes. They had the same look as they did many years ago.  
  
Though the demon had changed from that time, his eyes had not. It had been like a warped sense of deja vu. His eyes still had that same wild quality of danger. But the girl did not fear him. It was bizarre. She would trust a demon more than me, a Minister.  
  
What would I do with the demon? What would I do with the girl?  
  
Although my offer had been a pretext to remove her from the demon, what I said had been true, we could indeed make her into a fine exorcist. But, although trained by the Order, I doubted that her future lay there. To Rosette, her brother would always come first. She would not submit easily to authority, especially due to her free nature.  
  
There would be no point keeping her locked in a place where she didn't want to be. 

Birds were made to fly free. To trap them in a cage would encourage them to flee at the first sign of freedom, regardless of the danger. It had happened once before.  
  
Still, the incentive of resources and training to find Joshua would be enough for now to keep Rosette safely cloistered for a few years, of that I was sure.  
  
But what to do with the demon?  
  
He did not appear to have recognized me yet. Interesting...  
  
The sky was beginning to lighten and the dim outline of the Abbey was visible in the distance.  
  
"Are we nearly there?" Startled out of my thoughts, my gaze flicked briefly to the rear view mirror. The demon had opened his eyes.  
  
"Yes. When we arrive, I will be taking both of you to see Sister Kate, the head of the New York branch."  
  
Sister Kate...I could already imagine what her reaction would be...  
  
He nodded, then turned and gently shook Rosette. "Rosette." He murmured. It was disturbing. There was such warmth in his eyes. She was obviously important to the demon. When and why did the demon attach himself to this girl?  
  
As Rosette opened her eyes I wondered at the strange contrast between the two. Purple and blonde, red and blue. They were as different as night and day. What was it that drew them to each other? Had she been embraced by darkness or had he been drawn to the light?  
  
Storing these thoughts away, I stopped the car. "We have arrived."  
  
As we got out of the car, I watched them carefully. Rosette was looking around apprehensively. The demon looked slightly haunted.  
  
"Come." I said. "I will take you to see Sister Kate."  
  
I turned and led the way to the main building. "Wait here." I ordered when we were outside Sister Kate's office. "I will speak with her first. She did not anticipate your arrival."  
  
Rosette flinched, and I wished I hadn't said the last part. "She was expecting to meet Joshua, wasn't she?" she spoke softly, eyes not leaving the floor. The demon was glaring at me again.  
  
I sighed mentally. Kneeling in front of her, I raised her chin gently. "You will be welcomed even if your arrival was not planned." I said as warmly as I could. "And as promised, I will ask her to allow you to be trained. Here, you will find a new home and purpose." She nodded slowly, and I stood back up.  
  
"I cannot say the same thing for you though." I directed this to the demon. He narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.  
  
"Wait here." I repeated, and knocked on the door. Even as I entered the office, I could feel those red eyes...watching my every move.

* * *

"Welcome back, Minister." Sister Kate greeted me with a smile, as I stepped into the office. "You're back earlier than expected. Have you brought the Apostle?" 

I sighed. "Things did not go according to plan." Her face darkened. "I was to bring him back tomorrow, but something happened while I was away. I'm not terribly sure what it was...but when I returned to the orphanage, the Apostle Joshua was nowhere to be found. I believe that he has been abducted by some force of evil. The orphanage had been destroyed, with everything and everyone being time-frozen but for the the Apostle's sister, Rosette, and a demon."

She gasped. "What became of the girl?" Sister Kate asked anxiously.

"I brought her back with me." I said carefully.

She nodded in approval, looking relieved. "And the demon?"

"He is here as well." I said.

She looked shocked, then worried and disapproving. "Minister, how could you..."

I broke in. "I could not take the girl without bringing him along. He was fiercely protective," 'or possessive, rather' I thought before continuing, "and he was adamant on accompanying her. She had not wanted to come at first, but I told her that we would train her to become an exorcist if she came, so that she would be better equipped to search for her brother when the time came."

Sister Kate frowned thoughtfully. "We can arrange for that easily. But what of the demon? He has no place here."

"He will not leave the girl, of that I am sure." I stated. "If Rosette stays, we cannot get rid of the demon. It is not just that he is attached to her, but she also to him. She will not see him leave without a fight."

"I will not have him near others in the Abbey." said Sister Kate.

"I've been thinking." I said. "How about putting him with the Elder. He's been wanting to have an assistant for his 'projects', and this way, the demon would be occupied, hopefully."

"I will decide after I speak with him and the girl." Sister Kate said firmly. "Send them in."

**_TBC_**

_Bleh..!  
  
This chapter was a bit... But I had just written it as an excuse to put up replies for my lovely reviewers. That's why the chapter itself was so short. I was actually listening to "Eyes on me" by Faye Wong when I wrote this. _

_The main part for me was my responses to them. This chapter was just a ramble. I did try to explain my view of Remington and his perception of Chrno, but I don't know if I achieved that very well...please review and tell me what you think. I'll do a better job in the next chapter, hopefully. Until then, bear with me for a while longer. _

_I__'m actually meant to be doing an assignment right now, but I'm kind of procrastinating and getting side tracked....hehehe!!!_


	4. Chapter 4: Sanctuary

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.  
  
Author's note:  
  
chibisamisala: _

_If you want, throw ideas at me. This story is still young, and so any ideas that might fit in at any time during its creation would be slotted in, with due credit given to the one who inspired it. Tell me what you'd like to read, and though I can't always guarantee I'll put it in, it'd be nice to see how other people envisioned Chrno Crusade to turn out. Thanks so much for reviewing. People like you just make me want to update sooner, if only to read the wonderful comments and encouragement which you give me. That isn't to say that I won't welcome opinions or criticisms though. All kinds of feedback inspire me to write better.  
  
RavenWolf11: _

_Wow...you have an awesome name. I like wolves. Anyway, that was a bit off tangent. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you do continue to follow this story. Hehehe...Tell me what to write, I think I'm starting to fizzle out.  
  
And now the next chapter..._

* * *

**_Chapter 4: Sanctuary_**  
  
_Rosette:_  
  
What was taking Minister Remington so long? I gulped nervously. Maybe they were arguing about whether I could stay or not. Or more importantly...I glanced over at Chrno.  
  
Chrno was watching the door intently, yet as if sensing my gaze, he turned to look at me. I must have looked really troubled, because he smiled at me reassuringly and said, "Everything will be fine. Don't worry." "It's not me I'm worried about." I bit my lip and looked away from him. "What if they don't let you stay? I don't want you to go."  
  
"Even if they don't want me here, they can't make me leave. I will stay to protect you and help you find Joshua, just like I promised."  
  
I stared at him in surprise. He was so confident and sure. Smiling, he walked over and tilted my head up gently so that my eyes met his. I saw fiery determination. "And if they do force me to leave, I'll just take you with me."  
  
My eyes widened in surprise as his narrowed. "They have not given me reason to trust them. I don't like the thought of leaving you alone with these people."  
  
He looked as if he was about to say something else, but the door opened and  
  
Minister Remington came out. "Sister Kate will see you now. Please go in."  
  
We stepped into the spacious office. A stern looking lady was watching us, her kind expression turning wary as Chrno followed me in. She gestured towards some couches on the side of the room. "Please sit." The door closed, and I turned around in surprise. Remington had not come back into the room.  
  
I sat down nervously. Chrno sat down next to me tensely. The lady studied us for a moment in silence before introducing herself. "My name is Kate Valentine, but you may call me Sister Kate."  
  
"My name is Rosette Christopher." I said politely. I tried to sound confident. It wouldn't do to be impolite to this lady, who was obviously important, but I did not want to seem too submissive either. These people would have kept Joshua away from me. I didn't trust them and neither did Chrno. Still...  
  
The shadow of a smile crossed her face, before the stern expression returned full force. She turned to face Chrno. "And you are..."  
  
"I am Chrno." He looked at her impassively.  
  
She nodded. "Well met, Rosette and Chrno." Minister Remington has informed me of what has happened." I stiffened, but she smiled at me kindly. "You are welcome to stay here of course. We have other children of your age here as well, so you will not be alone." I sighed in relief, but glanced over at Chrno as I suddenly remembered.  
  
Following my line of sight, she also turned to face Chrno. "I do not know why you chose to accompany Rosette, but we will not force you to leave." Chrno looked faintly surprised. "However, we will house you with the Elder, who is the head of the weapon's department. You will be on a sort of probation, to test your trustworthiness and you will not be allowed inside the main building unless accompanied by the Elder or Remington."  
  
Chrno nodded. "Thank you." He said stiffly.  
  
Sister Kate looked faintly surprised at this. I grinned at Chrno and he smiled back slightly.  
  
There was a knock at the door. "Come in." Sister Kate called out.  
  
Minister Remington came back in "I hope we're not interrupting, but I've brought the Elder, and I've explained the situation to him."  
  
A weird old man followed him in. He wore a lab coat and had the strangest goggles/glasses I had ever seen. He grinned when he saw us. "What do we have here?"  
  
Remington smiled sheepishly. "This is the head of weapon's research, whom we all call Elder."  
  
"Rosette and Chrno will stay with the Order from now on." Said Sister Kate.  
  
"Rosette will be staying with the other children. Chrno is your new charge." Elder looked at us with interest before striding over and sticking his hand out for Chrno to shake. "Nice to meet you, young man." He greeted enthusiastically.  
  
I was surprised and Chrno looked just as shocked. This strange old man was the first one here to accept Chrno with no suspicion or wariness. Incredible...  
  
Gingerly, Chrno shook the offered hand and smiled cautiously. "I've always wanted an assistant." The Elder said merrily. He then turned to me. "And you must be Rosette. A pleasure to meet you as well."  
  
He was too friendly. It was disturbing. There had to be something wrong with someone who was that friendly.  
  
Sister Kate got up. "I will show you to the dormitories, Rosette. The Elder and Minister Remington will show Chrno around."  
  
I looked hesitantly toward Chrno. "You will be able to see him tomorrow." Sister Kate said, steering me towards the door. "I'll leave Chrno to you then, gentlemen."  
  
I cast one more worried glance at Chrno, but he smiled reassuringly at me before I was led away.  
  
The sun was shining brightly as I followed Sister Kate outside. It was morning. The events of last night seemed so far away and unreal. But I knew that they would return to haunt me at night. I had lost everything last night. And yet...as I walked, I clasped the clock which I had tucked into my jacket. I hadn't quite lost everything. There was still Chrno. He would always be there for me. Though I had only known him for a short while, he and Joshua were the most important people in my life.  
  
From the moment I met him, I had felt drawn to him. Maybe it was because he was so mysterious, or maybe because he was more mature than the other kids at the orphanage. Whatever the reason, something compelled me to trust and depend on him.  
  
"Rosette!" I was startled out of my thoughts. She looked at me worriedly. "Are you alright?"  
  
I blushed as I realised that Sister Kate had been calling my name repeatedly. "I'm fine. Maybe I'm just a bit tired."  
  
She nodded understandingly. "You can rest when we get to the dormitories. The other children should be at breakfast at the moment, and you probably won't see them until tonight."  
  
She led me to a large room. "This is the girl's dormitory. We also have boys here, though they sleep in another room. You will be sharing this room with several other girls."  
  
I nodded. I was used to sharing rooms, having grown up in an orphanage. She showed me where to find a nightgown before allocating me a bed. "Rest now." She said. "You will begin your classes tomorrow." She left me to my own devices. Changing out of my clothes, I slipped into the white nightgown before lying down on my stomach in the bed. The clock dug into me. Rolling over onto my back, I clutched the clock thoughtfully.  
  
I wonder how Chrno is doing....  
  
**_TBC_**  
  
_Yay! My chapters are getting progressively longer. I am progressing so slowly aren't I. Oh well. It'll probably be ages before Rosette reaches the age that she was in the manga. I think I'll try and explore life at the Abbey for a while until I feel that it's time to move on.  
  
I know that there were lots of other girls there, but I will put some boys in as well. I mean, people like Gillium and Remington had to have come from somewhere after all. Should I make the Elder into an evil paedophile? That would make Chrno hate him though. Or maybe I'll just portray him as a friendly old man who only goes perverted when Rosette gets older or something. Tell me what you think.  
  
I hope that chapter was alright. Getting sleepy now, so goodnight. If you liked it, please review and tell me what was good. If you didn't like it, please review and tell me what was bad. All reviews are valuable to me. Thanks heaps, and kudos for coming all the way to the end here. _


	5. Chapter 5: Settling In

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.  
  
Now, the usual replies:_

_Chibisamisala: _

_Greetings, faithful viewer. Interesting suggestions. I shall keep them in mind. What's so weird about central park? I live in Australia, so I've never been there before. Thanks once again for reviewing._

_  
Die Kikyo Die: _

_Hello newest reviewer. I aim to please anyone who chooses to read this story. Thanks for taking the time to read it and thanks for reviewing._

**In advance, I apologize to any American readers who may have gone to Catholic schools. I have never been to America or any Catholic schools, so I do not really know how the people act there, but for the sake of this story, they are mostly rich people. I'm basing my assumptions on the general stereotypes of some schools in my country.**  
  
**In Australia, Catholic schools are usually private schools for the economically elite, thanks to our stuffed up education system, where funding is being cut for other non-private schools. I am just very biased in this subject, so sorry for ranting like that.  
  
And for anyone from Australia, I was from a selective school, which waited 25 years for the proper funding to build a school hall, so its hard not to be angry at such a slack education department which also doesn't pay its teachers enough, leading to constant teachers' strikes.**  
  
**I do not mean to offend anyone in the writing of this story though. Anyway, on to the next chapter...**

* * *

**_Chapter 5: Settling In_ **

_Chrno:_  
  
"Here we are!"  
  
I gazed around curiously. So this was the Elder's workshop. I could see why it was set apart from the main compound. Some of the stuff in here looked bizarre ... and dangerous. He trotted upstairs and quickly came back down again, bearing a set of clothes. "These will have to do until we can find better ones." He muttered, setting them down on a nearby couch.

Why on Earth would he have spare children's clothes lying around? On second thoughts, I don't really want to know. I turned slightly green at that thought.  
  
The Elder led me to the back of the workshop to a cluttered looking room. "This can be your room, once it's cleaned up a bit of course."  
  
I thought I saw the corner of a cot. The rest of it was under a huge pile of junk. The Elder gave an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry about the mess. I didn't really expect to find an assistant any time soon. Not that I'm not happy that you're here though."  
  
"It's alright." I reassured him. "I'm grateful that you're letting me stay here with you. It will take me a while to clear all this though."  
  
"No time like the present." The Elder was way too cheerful about this. "You need only move all the junk to the workshop and we'll sort it out another day. I'll need to go out for a bit to check up on something. Will you be alright in here by yourself for a while?"  
  
I nodded slowly. Grinning, the Elder left, saying "be careful with what you touch in the workshop" as he left. Sighing, I began moving the junk. It took me a good two hours before everything was piled elsewhere. Totally exhausted, I collapsed on the cleared cot with a groan. There was still a film of dust over it, but I was too tired to care.  
  
I closed my eyes and drifted off. My last conscious thought was 'I wonder how Rosette is doing..."

* * *

_Rosette:  
_  
"Rosette."  
  
Someone was calling me. Groggily, I peeled my eyes open. It was Sister Kate. "Time for dinner." She said. "You must be hungry, having slept the whole day."  
  
I yawned and sat up. She placed some clothes on a chair nearby. "You can change into this. It's the uniform which we give to all the children to wear."  
  
Nodding, I got up slowly; pausing for a moment as a thought suddenly came to mind. "Where is Chrno? Can I go see him?"  
  
Sister Kate frowned. "He will remain in the Elder's care for now. You may be able to see him tomorrow."  
  
Confused, I asked. "But isn't Chrno going to have dinner with us?"  
  
Sister Kate shook her head. "I don't want him near the other children until we can be certain that he is trustworthy."  
  
I scowled at this. I had the feeling that if they had their way, I would not be seeing Chrno for a long time. If they won't let Chrno see me, I'll just go find him myself.  
  
Sighing, Sister Kate said, "Hurry up and change. I will wait for you outside."  
  
When she closed the door, I went over to look at the clothes. They were pinkish robes of some sort, I presumed. Quickly changing, I made sure to tuck my watch under my clothes. I had the feeling that it wasn't something that I should be openly showing just yet.  
  
Leaving the room, I followed Sister Kate as she led me to the dining hall.  
  
There were many people there. They must all eat at the same time, I supposed. Everyone was mostly seated already.  
  
Sister Kate led me to the front of the hall.  
  
"Before we say Grace, I would like to introduce someone new to you." She placed her hand on my shoulder and pushed me forward gently. "This is Rosette Christopher. She will attend classes with the other 12 year olds tomorrow. Please make her feel welcome and look after her."  
  
Everyone clapped politely but I could see them peering at me curiously and whispering.  
  
I stood there not knowing what to do. Sister Kate gestured for me to sit with some other girls of my age at the side of the hall. After Grace was said, food was served to us.  
  
Suddenly realising how hungry I was, I dug in. Famished, I quickly polished off my plate, before the feeling of being watched prickled me.  
  
Looking up, I saw the other girls watching me with scandalized looks on their faces, their food barely touched. I frowned.  
  
"Find something interesting?" Their expressions irritated me. Maybe it was because I was starving. Maybe I was still angry with Sister Kate. Whatever the reason, I was feeling extremely sarcastic and waspish.  
  
Some of the girls looked outraged at what I said. One raised an eyebrow and said in a snooty voice, "You eat like a starving orphan."  
  
I raised an eyebrow in return. "You are right. I am an orphan and I am starving at the moment." Many of them looked extremely shocked at this. Ignoring them, I helped myself to some more food, but I could hear whispering up and down the table.  
  
"She's an orphan. That explains why she's so coarse."  
  
"This is meant to be a prestigious Catholic school. Why'd they let an orphan in?"  
  
I didn't get up and start slugging people as I normally would have done because, but I was stung by the constant comments about "the Orphan". I knew that the Abbey was the headquarters for the Magdala Order, but I hadn't known that they also ran a boarding school here. From the way they spoke and acted, I assumed that most of the other children were from rich families in the City.  
  
So what if I was an orphan? It wasn't like I could do anything about it. Angry and fed up with the sneering looks some of the girls were directing my way, I got up and walked off, grabbing some rolls from a nearby basket along the way. I found my way outside the building somehow and just stood there, shaking with rage.  
  
I wished that Chrno were here.  
  
Then I remembered. I was going to find him, wasn't I? I looked around. Sister Kate had said that she hadn't wanted him near the main building, so he must be located in a separate building. Spotting a cottage on the far side of the grounds, I strolled over. Though no lights could be seen through the windows, I knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

* * *

_Chrno:_  
  
I was awoken by a knocking at the door. Groaning, I got up and stumbled over to the door. Opening it, I expected to see the Elder, but I was surprised when I saw Rosette instead.  
  
Her nervous expression gave way to a relieved smile when she saw me. "I'm so glad I found you!" I smiled back and motioned her to come in from the cold.  
  
I shook my head with amusement as she bounded in energetically. "I brought you dinner...kind of." She showed me several rolls wrapped in a napkin.  
  
"Thank you." I said slowly. "But what about you? Have you eaten?"  
  
She scowled at this. "I did eat, but I didn't stay for long." As I cocked my head at this, she elaborated. "I only stayed long enough to eat my fill. The company was awful. I was stuck with these other girls who thought I was weird because I ate like a 'starving orphan' and looked too coarse."  
  
I frowned slightly at this. She saw this and quickly said. "I'm ok though. They were right, and their comments about my being an orphan didn't really hurt me. I mean, I'm not terribly upset or anything. I just left before I was fully tempted to punch someone."  
  
Seeing that I didn't look too reassured, she pushed the rolls at me. "Enough about me. Eat! You must be hungry."  
  
Realising that I was, I began eating the bread while Rosette looked around curiously. "So is this where the Elder lives."  
  
I nodded. "He sleeps upstairs. I was given the room at the back of the workshop."  
  
Peering inside, she called back. "This room is so dirty! But at least it's better than the workshop."  
  
I grinned. "Most of the stuff in the workshop was from that room. You couldn't even see the cot when I first walked into the room. That's the reason why I've been sleeping till just then. I spent most of the day trying to clear the room."  
  
She sighed. "Give me ten minutes."  
  
Still in the process of eating, I blinked in surprise as she rolled up her sleeves and began to clean up the rest of the room. I hurried over. "You don't need to do that! I'll handle it!"  
  
She pushed me out of the way. "Finish your bread or I'll pummel you. I can clean faster than you anyway."  
  
True to her word, she transformed the room in a matter of minutes, relatively speaking anyway. Even if it didn't look luxurious, at least it was clean. She chucked the dirty sheets on top of all the other junk. "It's a big enough mess as it is. It shouldn't matter if I pile more onto it. We can get it cleaned tomorrow."  
  
Chuckling, I started to sit on the now clean bed. "Wait!!" The screech brought me to a halt. I was so horribly unbalanced that I fell over to one side with a heavy thud. I looked up mournfully. Rosette was looking seriously annoyed. "I just cleaned that bed! And you were going to put your dirty self onto it! What were you thinking?!"  
  
I was even more shocked when she began rummaging around. "Didn't they even bother to get you clean clothes?!"  
  
I grinned sheepishly and began pointing towards the couch in the workshop area. "Actually..."  
  
Spying the clothes, she grabbed them and threw them at me. "Change out of those filthy clothes NOW!"  
  
I blushed, looked at the clothes, then back at her. "Um...do you want to turn around or something first?"  
  
She turned bright red and hurriedly left the room. Closing the door, I changed quickly. The clothes were too big, but at least they were clean.  
  
I left the room to find Rosette. She was stood there fidgeting, still looking rather red. "I'm done."  
  
She looked up. "Oh, ok then. Those look a bit big though."  
  
I shrugged. "It's the best the Elder could find for now. I'll probably get something that fits better later."  
  
"Will they even bother?" Rosette said bitterly. I frowned at this. Seeing my expression, she sighed. "Come on, Chrno. You're being treated horribly. They don't want you eating with other people..."  
  
"I understand why..." I broke in, but she continued talking over me, pacing up and down in front of me, as she went.  
  
"they don't give you decent clothes..."  
  
"I don't need nice clothes..."  
  
"they stash you with an obviously deranged old weirdo..."  
  
"he's not that bad..."  
  
"and they wouldn't even let me see you."  
  
I effectively stopped her by standing in her way as she turned in her pacing. Stopped short by this, she was surprised as I reached out and cupped her face so that her eyes met mine. "That didn't stop you from coming here though, did it?"  
  
She blushed at this. I smiled at her. "Even if you hadn't come, I wouldn't have let them stop me from seeing you. I would have come to find you, so you don't need to worry too much about that."  
  
And indeed she didn't. I would have snuck in to the dormitories to check up on her if she hadn't come by tomorrow. I had known that they didn't want me to actively go looking for Rosette, for fear of other children being exposed to me, but I hadn't thought that they would bar Rosette from looking for me as well.  
  
I pulled her into a tight embrace. They won't keep me from her and I won't let them take her away from me. She is mine, and I will keep what is mine.  
  
"Chrno," She said, embarrassed, "I..."She broke off suddenly. Frowning, I pulled back slightly. She was staring out the window.  
  
"Rosette?" She looked wary and nervous.  
  
"There's something weird outside." She said, peering into the darkness.  
  
Frowning, I turned to face the window. "What is it?"  
  
"I don't know." She said. It was a flash of white though. I froze. A flash of white?  
  
A white blob suddenly popped into our field of view. Rosette gave a horrible scream, clutching at me while I tensed and pushed her behind me. 'It couldn't be...!'  
  
"Ehehehehehe..!!!" Wait a minute. That laugh sounded more like the cackle of a demented old man...  
  
I relaxed as the Elder pressed his face to the window outside. "Scared you didn't I? Hahahahaha...."  
  
Rosette was shaking, red with embarrassment and rage. "Why you...!!!"  
  
The Elder made his way into the cottage still laughing. "Hahahaha...You should have seen your face...haha...oh, my stomach hurts from laughing..."  
  
"Where were you all this time anyway?" Though relieved that it wasn't whom I had thought it was, my adrenaline was still up and going.  
  
"I was grabbing a bite to eat back at the dining hall. I met up with a very worried Sister Kate. All the children were supposed to be in bed by now, but nobody had seen Rosette. I thought she might have found her way here." He grinned at me. "Did I interrupt anything?"  
  
I was still holding Rosette. She realized this at that moment. Giving a small squeak, she pulled away, face turning an interesting shade of red.  
  
"We weren't doing anything." She said, looking at the ground.  
  
"Sure..." the Elder crowed sarcastically. Giving a chuckle, he sobered up and said. "Anyway, as I was saying, Sister Kate is looking for you. You better head back up to the dormitories now. If she found you here, both you and Chrno will be in even more trouble."  
  
Rosette nodded. "Ok then. Thank you Elder." She started heading to the door, before hesitantly turning towards me, still with a tinge of red on her face. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Chrno?"  
  
"Definitely." I said.  
  
She smiled and left. As the door closed, the Elder began cackling. Exasperated, I turned to face him. "What???"  
  
"Nothing!" he replied, before cackling insanely again. I shook my head. "I'm going to sleep now, if that's alright with you."  
  
Not really waiting for a reply from the weird inventor, I went to my room.

_**TBC**__Wow, a very long chapter indeed. Kind of a slow one, though. Anyways please review and tell me what you think. Updates are gonna be less frequent coz I have exams coming up. Since writing is a sort of de- stressing method for me, hopefully I will keep writing. Oh well. Thanks again for making it all the way to the end.  
  
Isn't it awesome that there is finally a Chrno Crusade section? YAY!!!_


	6. Chapter 6: Squabbles

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.  
  
Author's Note: _

_Wow! 6 reviews in one day! Awesome! Thank you everyone. Ok, just to state the obvious, I've changed the Abbey slightly so that it also functions as a sort of Catholic boarding school.  
  
I've never been to a boarding school before, so I'm just making this up as I go. Anyway, to my reviewers._

_   
  
ruby-dream  
  
Thanks for your reviews. I don't really know how I'm gonna make the Elder perverted without my version of Chrno ripping his head off or something. I'll still try to fit it in somewhere, but can you or anyone else throw ideas at me about how I should do this? You'll find out who her room-mates are soon.Die Kikyo Die  
  
Hello again! Nice to have you reviewing! It would be awesome to see what kind of story you come up with! Thanks again for continuing to read this story.ChibiSamiSala  
  
Whoa! Central Park sounds really bizarre. Ok, I'd like to borrow that suggestion about central park that you made a while ago. Is that ok with you? I'll wait for your reply before I do use the idea. Thanks so much for reviewing.NightElfCrawler  
  
Sister Kate will be all shocked and angry very soon, never fear. She doesn't like Chrno, and he's going to be virtually like a prisoner coz he'll be confined to the Elder's workshop (in theory anyway, hehe). I'll try to explain why she didn't seem as wary in this chapter. Thanks for pointing that bit out and thanks for reviewing. I hope that you'll continue to offer feedback for my story, so that I can correct any holes or inconsistencies, which I may miss._

* * *

**Chapter 6: Squabbles**  
  
Sister Kate:  
  
How could Rosette just disappear like that? All I did was to leave her in the hall to have dinner with the others for an hour or so, and she just vanishes! None of the other children seemed to know where she had gone either.  
  
I paced anxiously about the entrance hall, stopping short as the door slowly opened. Rosette peered inside slowly.  
  
"Rosette!"  
  
She flinched immediately and looked towards me with a sheepish expression. "I'm sorry Sister Kate. I didn't realise that bed time here was so early."  
  
I sighed and shook my head. "I suppose I should have told you about it before, but I hadn't expected you to run off before dinner was finished. Where have you been?"  
  
She scowled at this and straightened up. "I went to find Chrno."  
  
My concerned expression faded, as I glared disapprovingly at her. "I did not give you permission to see him."  
  
She glowered back stubbornly. "You never said that I couldn't go find him myself."  
  
"It was implied!" I felt so exasperated. I hoped that she wasn't going to be this aggravating for the rest of her stay here.  
  
"I didn't pick up on it." Rosette replied petulantly, folding her arms in defiance.  
  
I sighed. I had the feeling that I would be spending most of the next few years arguing with this child. "Fine. But I am saying it now. You are not to go looking for Chrno without permission." As her scowl deepened and she started to reply, I continued. "Disobedience will lead to harsh punishment for both of you."  
  
"That's not fair! He hasn't done anything wrong, so why are you treating him like a criminal?!" She frowned at me fiercely, standing tall with hands on hips.  
  
I was astonished at the outburst. It had been quite a while ago since a child had talked back at me in a raised voice. Recovering from my surprise, I gave her a most unpleasant look.  
  
"He is a demon! They are evil and go against everything that the Order stands for. Against my better judgement, I have already allowed him to stay here. This was for your sake, your peace of mind." Shocked, Rosette stumbled back from me. "I don't trust him, and you should be thankful that he is not currently chained in a room surrounded by crucifix barriers."  
  
I regretted sounding so harsh to her, but she needed to realise the danger of what she had brought in. I tried again in a gentler tone. "It's not only that we want you to minimize contact with him. We don't want his presence to be widely known. If you constantly visited him, you may draw him to the attention of the other children here. I will not risk their safety as well."  
  
"Chrno is no danger!" she balled her fists in anger.  
  
I gritted my teeth in frustration. Here I was, in the middle of the night, quarrelling with a bull headed child. "I will discuss this no further. Go back to the dormitories, Rosette. Your classes begin tomorrow morning, so you will need your rest."  
  
It was a standoff. She glared at me while I stared stonily down at her. She finally broke off, giving one last mutinous glare before marching off.  
  
I sighed as I watched her disappear up some stairs. "I don't know how we'll manage with her in the next few years."  
  
"You have to admit she's got spirit though."  
  
I turned around, unsurprised. Minister Remington was standing in the shadows. "A spirit of defiance you mean." I said with a raised eyebrow.  
  
I had long ago given up asking 'how long have you been there for' and 'what are you doing here'. The man had an odd habit of stealthily turning up in unexpected places at unexpected times. You either became accustomed to it, or spent the rest of your life getting heart attacks.  
  
Remington merely grinned. "Her energy just needs to be rechannelled. I'm sure she'll make a fine exorcist, given enough time. We just need to be patient with her."  
  
"It's hard to be patient with such a contrary child, who is resolved to having her own way. She is determined to remain in contact with the demon. But why? I cannot determine the nature of their relationship." I frowned in contemplation. "The demon does not seem to have an ulterior motive, but I find it strange that he would choose to follow an orphaned girl with no special abilities nor traits."  
  
Remington replied carefully. "They do seem to be very close friends."  
  
"It is this closeness that worries me." I sighed. "Hopefully it will change after a while. I have roomed her with Josephine, Elizabeth and Katherine. They are well-behaved girls, so I'm hoping that they will be a good influence on her. Perhaps after a few weeks of interaction with other children of her age, she will find them better company than the demon."  
  
Remington nodded thoughtfully, but had a doubtful look still. "Hopefully."  
  
_**TBC**  
  
Originally this chapter and the next chapter were one, but it was getting too long, so I decided to post it as two chapters. This means that both chapters were written in one go, then split. Hope it's alright. Please review and continue to provide feedback so that I can consider or fix up inconsistencies or errors. Thanks again for the previous reviews. _


	7. Chapter 7: First Day

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.  
  
Author's note: _

_Originally this chapter and the last chapter were one, but it was getting too long, so I decided to post it as two separate chapters. This means that both chapters were written in one go, then split. Enjoy! Please review at your earliest convenience. It's so cool to get reviews. I like to go by the theory that for each review, there are 2 other people reading the fic who don't review.  
  
Anyways, to the story...

* * *

__  
**Chapter 7: First Day**  
  
Rosette:_  
  
Someone was shaking me.  
  
"Go away." I mumbled, rolling over.  
  
"You're going to be late for breakfast. Don't you want food?"  
  
I shot up at this. It was morning? When had I gone to sleep. Wasn't I with Chrno last night?  
  
My brain quickly went into fast forward and I remembered...squabbling with Sister Kate...being sent to my room like a little kid...  
  
"Stop day dreaming and hurry up!" I glanced over at the girl with long brown hair who had woken me up and who was looking at me in a very annoyed way.  
  
"Ok, ok, I'm going..." I muttered. I stumbled out of bed, seeing some other girls already in various stages of getting dressed.  
  
The girl pushed me along to the cupboard where our robes were kept. "I'm Elizabeth, by the way. I'm the monitor in charge of this room."  
  
"Monitor?" I tried to talk while wriggling out of my night clothes.  
  
"Yes. I make sure that rules are being kept and that everyone is ready when they should be." She said. Sure enough, she was already fully dressed and ready.  
  
Quickly slipping on my robes, I pulled my hair into their customary pigtails, then quickly ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I was back in thirty seconds, much to Elizabeth's surprise.  
  
"Is everyone ready, then." She called, inspecting us. We all nodded. "Great, let's head down to the dining hall."  
  
As we walked down, I tried to talk to the other two girls. "I'm Rosette Christopher. What are your names?"  
  
They looked at me for a moment, and I felt as if I were being assessed. "I am Josephine." "I am Katherine."  
  
Josephine was a petite girl with short blonde hair and hazel eyes. Katherine had long black hair and was taller than me.  
  
"Nice to meet you." I tried. I really did. But they didn't really seem to want to talk. After a few monotonous responses and absent nods, I just gave up trying to hold a conversation with those two.  
  
I tried talking to Elizabeth. "So what are the classes like?"  
  
She thought for a moment. "We learn the same kinds of stuff as normal schools, like maths, english, etc. But for those who want to specialise and become exorcists for the Magdala Order, there are optional classes like weapons introduction and later, there's demonology."  
  
I pricked my ears up at the last part. "Now THAT sounds interesting."  
  
Elizabeth gave me a funny look. "Not many people from our year take those classes. It's mostly boys and a few of the older girls. They are mostly theory classes. You have to pass certain tests before they let you do any practical work."  
  
We made it to the dining hall where people were already seated waiting for breakfast. I followed Elizabeth and sat down, pointedly ignoring glances from the girls who had been harassing me last night. Luckily for me, they were on another table, so I wouldn't have to confront them directly.  
  
Food was served soon after. Glancing around the hall, I saw Sister Kate and Minister Remington eating at a table on the other side of the room with the Elder. The Minister must have sensed me watching them, because he turned to look at me. Smiling, he excused himself from his table and walked over.  
  
"Good morning, Rosette. I hope you slept well."  
  
I nodded slowly. The other girls were staring with awe. Either he was psychic or I was easy to read, because he leaned down and said softly, "I saw you looking at the Elder. Don't worry about your friend. He will be looked after, I promise. There's no need for you to go looking for him."  
  
Straightening up, he smiled at me reassuringly. "I hope that you enjoy your first day." After he left, the other girls stared at me. "What?" I said testily, annoyed at their staring.  
  
"You know Minister Remington?" Josephine squeaked in awe. I frowned at this and answered carefully. "Not really. I guess that since he brought me here, he wanted to make sure that I was alright so far."  
  
"Oh." That was all that they said to me for the rest of breakfast.  
  
General education classes were so boring. I spent half the time staring out the window. I caught Elizabeth giving me dirty looks every now and then, but I didn't really care.  
  
My favourite class by far was weapons introduction. The teacher for this class was a member of the Militia, the elite exorcists of the Magdala Order. Although I wasn't allowed to try the weapons out, it was interesting to be shown the different types of artillery which exorcists and the Militia used. I watched enviously as the older kids got to try them out.  
  
Just like Elizabeth had said, I was the youngest girl there. But this was the only class that I felt motivated to study for.  
  
The teacher explained the format of the lessons to me. If I managed to pass the preliminary theory test, I would be allowed to start the practical lessons for weapons use. You gained levels as you progressed in this class. The higher the level, the more advanced were the weapons which you could learn to use. Misconduct or irresponsible use of weapons would lead to a level reduction or suspension from class.  
  
Michael and Luke were two of several boys from my year who also took this class. They had already passed their first level tests before, and were allowed to practice with wooden swords. Most of the weapons in the class were designed to be teaching aids which would have minimum risk of hurting others, so there were no real bullets in the guns and swords were made of wood. They must have seen me watching them enviously because they smirked and waved their weapons at me tauntingly. I growled and turned away, watching an older girl practice loading with a model gun.  
  
While the teacher was busy with the older kids in the target practice room, the rest of us were left outside to practice. I sat by myself while some of the other kids chatted amongst themselves.  
  
"I'll bet you wish you were allowed to play with these."  
  
I turned around slowly. Michael and Luke were grinning, leaning casually on their swords. "Ignore them..." I thought to myself.  
  
"Why did you decide to take this course anyway?" Michael sneered. "Shouldn't you be with the other girls, doing cooking or something?"  
  
Growling, I walked up and grabbed the front of his shirt. "Do you want to pick a fight or something." This boy was no different from any of the other boys I'd previously interacted with. I never took this kind of crap from Billy back at the orphanage, and I wasn't going to start now.  
  
Luke was looking on in amusement, while Michael was squirming in my very tight grip. "You're such a violent girl, is this the reason why your parents abandoned you?"  
  
I saw red at this. Distracted by this comment, Michael broke free when I loosened my hold on his shirt and pushed me over.  
  
"BOYS!"  
  
All three of us looked up. Minister Remington was striding towards us, looking extremely unimpressed. "I distinctly remember you being told to look after the new student, so why were you deliberately being cruel?"  
  
He gave them detentions and sent them off for a run around the entire perimeter of the compound twice as punishment.  
  
"Are you alright?" he said kindly, offering a hand to help me up.  
  
"I'm fine." I muttered, taking his hand as he pulled me up. "But I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself so..." I broke off as I noticed that Minister Remington had gone stiff, staring at me. Or more importantly...  
  
I followed his line of sight. He was staring at the clock which had untucked itself from inside my robes when I had been pushed over. He looked shocked and horrified. Oh crap...  
  
_**TBC**  
  
Wow! 2 chapters in one go. This actually took a few days to write. This chapter was a bit rushed. Oh well. Thanks for making all the way down here. Please try to review this chapter and tell me what you think should happen. _


	8. Chapter 8: The Clock

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.  
  
Thank you all:  
  
NightElfCrawler, ruby-dream, Die Kikyo Die  
Thank you regular reviewers. You guys are awesome.  
  
ChibiSamiSala  
Hello again. Cool, thanks heaps. I hope I do justice to your suggestions when I write the chapter. And thanks for reviewing as well.  
  
Adayana  
Yay! Another new reviewer / reader! Hi there. Thanks for reading my story. I hope that you'll continue to follow it, "for better or worse, till end do us part". Hehehe. Just kidding. This is my first novel length fic ever, so if the quality starts sliding, I'll understand if people start to dislike it. That's why it's cool to get reviews, I get criticisms which is a signal for me to improve my writing. Feel free to tell me what you think is odd and I'll try to work with new suggestions in the subsequent chapters.  
  
lazy cat _

_This will loosely follow the manga, I hope. I haven't gotten to the point where I have to decide, so I'm letting my imagination run wild at the moment. However, judging by the way the story is progressing, although certain events in the manga will happen in the future, it will probably deviate from the plot. I plan to borrow stuff from the anime IF it fits in with the story though. Everyone seems to hate the anime. Personally I don't think it's terrible, although the manga is superior by far. That's why I'll try to make it follow the manga, relatively speaking anyway. Thanks for becoming my newest reviewer.  
  
**Author's Note: No more Chrno Crusade! The anime ending with Chrno and Rosette was so sad, I cried. I hated the last bit with Aion though. I feel strangely empty now. I will so not kill off my main characters if I can help it. Unless I can make it spectacularly moving, I want to try and make a happily ever after ending in the future. I've had enough of sad endings, the anime achieved that perfectly anyway (minus the bit at the Vatican). I can't believe it's over.**  
_

_

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Clock  
**  
Remington:_  
  
I stared at the clock, suddenly feeling cold all over.  
  
Oh dear Lord, say it isn't so...  
  
Was this the reason for the demon's protectiveness? He was protecting his contractor? It made sense then, that he didn't want anything happening to the one who was the source of his power.  
  
But this was wrong. I felt rage building up with each passing thought. She was too young to be bearing such a heavy burden. How did he manage to trick her into accepting this?  
  
A slight whimper brought my thoughts back to the present, and I looked up to see Rosette tugging at her hand, which I still had in my grip. I had unconsciously tightened it in my anger.  
  
As I released her, she stumbled back a few steps, rubbing her hand and glaring at me.  
  
"Minister Remington!"  
  
I turned to see the teacher approaching with some of the older students, probably coming back from a practice session.  
  
"Hello, Sister." I greeted politely. "I was wondering if I could take Rosette for a while."  
  
She stopped and looked at me in surprise. "Of course. But whatever for?" She looked curiously at Rosette, who was still standing beside me.  
  
Rosette had hidden the clock again and was slowly backing away. Quickly reaching forward, I put a hand on her shoulder. To the teacher, it may have looked like a kind fatherly gesture. But I was also exerting enough force to warn Rosette. From her slight wince, I could tell that though I may have been overdoing it slightly, she had gotten the point. She stayed put, glaring petulantly at the ground.  
  
"It's just a small matter." I said smoothly. "We will be going now. I apologise for disturbing your class."  
  
I kept my hand on Rosette's shoulder, steering her towards somewhere deserted. When we were out of sight and hearing range of the class, Rosette broke away and whirled to face me. "What do you want? That hurt!"  
  
"I'm sorry, but I needed to make sure that you didn't run off before we clarified something." I allowed her time to put some distance between us before asking, "How did you come by that clock."  
  
She frowned and clutched said clock unconsciously. "It's none of your business!" She snapped.  
  
I frowned in displeasure. "I don't think you realise the danger that the clock represents. It..." I didn't finish, since she interrupted furiously.  
  
"You don't know anything! You think you do, but you don't!"  
  
My expression darkened even more. I reached forward and seized her by the shoulders, ignoring her cry of shock. "I happen to know for a fact that the clock represents a contract with a demon. That is the reason why he followed you here, isn't it? He couldn't let anything happen to his source of power, that is why he protects you so."  
  
Rosette had looked intimidate, but at those words, her face contorted with anger. "That's not it! Chrno's my friend."  
  
"Friend?!" She was too naïve. "A friend would not trick you as he did. The contract he made with you has effectively shortened your life!"  
  
"He didn't trick me. I knew the consequences." Rosette said.  
  
I stiffened in disbelief, and then felt anger. "You knew?! And still you chose to make the contract? Why!" I shook her in frustration, ignoring her cry of protest. "What was it that he promised you? What did he say to you that you would be so willing to let him consume your soul."  
  
I felt that somehow, I was asking Magdalena as well. Why did you sacrifice your life for the sake of a demon? What had he said or done?  
  
_TBC  
  
NOOOOO...!!!! Such a short chapter!!! It can't end like this!!!! But I must. I can't decide what to do next. And I was going so well too! NOOO...!!!! HELP ME!!! The next chapter depends on the decisions of my lovely reviewers. Do you want to see a strong Rosette, or Chrno to the rescue?  
  
I like both ideas and was actually planning to write something like a choose your own adventure story. Have you guys ever read one of those? It would be like: **if Rosette should retaliate, go to Chapter 10. If Chrno should beat up Remington, go to Chapter 9.**  
  
But that would be too tedious and annoying, not just running 2 separate branched off stories, but also for the reader to look through disjointed chapters. But it would have been funny, if I had done something like: **Chapter 21, Rosette was eaten by a giant marshmallow demon, return to Chapter 1 and begin again**. Hehehehe, amusing, but no.  
  
Remington is turning out too evil too soon...crap! What to do? How can I redeem him in Rosette's eyes. Never mind Chrno, hehe, just Rosette for now. Suggestions?  
  
So I leave it up to you guys. I like a possessive Chrno, but I don't want to make Rosette seem weak. Due to my indecision, the next chapter depends on you guys. If you want quick updates reply swiftly at your earliest convenience.  
  
Thanks again for reaching the bottom of the page. **You guys rule! **_


	9. Chapter 9: Central Park

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo  
  
**Author's note:  
Methinks I shall just write the next chapter based on the responses that I have gotten so far. Characters are changing too fast, too soon. Unless I do something drastic soon, Rosette will grow up disliking Remington. Think think think...what to do...Suggestions??? I borrowed something from the anime (Episode 7: The Devil – translated by AonE) in this chapter. See if you can figure out what it was.  
  
Also, I don't think it's fair that Aion can do all this cool stuff in adult form without a contractor while Chrno can't. So, Chrno in my fic will have some powers which can be accessed without opening the seal  
**  
lazy cat   
Don't feel pressured to review all the time though. I don't mind if the only times you review would be to say that you say the chapter is spectacular or spectacularly crap, hehehe. Any kind of review at any time is appreciated. Thanks for reviewing. I liked your suggestion.  
  
Die Kikyo Die   
Hehe, I hope this chapter will be ok. It's so hard to decide on which path the story should take, isn't it? Coz they are both interesting in their own way.  
  
Bronwen Stx  
Hello! Nice to see you again. I got the idea of writing from the perspectives of different people after reading some of the Chrno Crusade RPGs on the net. Glad that you like the story so far.  
  
ruby-dream   
Wow...thanks for the chunky review. I am never bothered, never fear. I love reviews of all shapes and sizes, and of many different opinions. Isn't it so hard to choose between strong Rosette and possessive Chrno? That's why I put the question up to you guys. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
NightElfCrawler  
I'm SOOWWEEEEE!!! Wasn't trying to tease you. I was genuinely stuck on that one small little detail. But I shall continue now, and I'll try to make this chapter longer to compensate for the last one.  
  
**STORY TIME!!!**_

_

* * *

**Chapter 9: Central Park**  
  
Rosette:_  
  
This man was crazy! I could tell that he had completely lost it, just by the look in his eyes. He wasn't even speaking to me anymore, though he continued to talk.  
  
"Stop it! You're hurting me!"  
  
I scratched furiously at his arms, hoping that he would be startled into releasing me. Damn him for wearing long sleeves all the time!   
  
"Answer me!" he forced my chin up so that I was looking straight at him. His eyes looked haunted and tormented.  
  
Taking the opportunity, I bit down hard on his hand. He loosened up just enough for me to wrench myself away. "I did! You heard but didn't listen to what I was saying!"  
  
I turned to run, but was jerked to a stop and spun around to face Remington again. He looked furious. "You are not going anywhere, especially not to that demon!"  
  
I thrashed angrily. "Let me go!"  
  
_'Chrno, help me!'_

* * *

_Chrno:_  
  
The Elder was taking an afternoon nap, after having worked all day on one of his lunatic experiments, leaving me to clean up the workshop after the rather "explosive" results of his tinkering.  
  
Normally, tidying up a room would have been a very simple task. However, if you were a demon, and you were in a room which was half filled with objects designed to kill you, you would tend to be very wary of just about everything.  
  
Elder didn't even tell me where everything was meant to go. "Just make the room more presentable." He had said. "Beyond that, use your imagination!" Right....  
  
I avoided a spilled bottle of something that looked suspiciously like holy water. The Elder had been experimenting on bullets called "Sacred". I didn't feel like getting burned and blistered hands, so I left it well alone.  
  
I sighed as I came to a scattering of metal in the corner of the room. There were also some guns strewn around. It was too much trouble to bend again and again to pick them up, so I just stuffed everything into my large pockets, thinking to dispose them all at once later.  
  
I could sense power from some of the trinkets that I picked up, especially the metal band with a single flawed jewel embedded into it. I slipped it onto my wrist curiously, surprised when it seemed to shrink to fit me. There was also a feeling of power coming from the red stone, almost waiting to be unleashed. Interesting. If I was desperate enough, I could probably draw power from it. Storing that thought away, I moved on.  
  
As I worked my way around the room, I continued to put small bits and pieces into my pocket while chucking larger pieces into ordered piles. I then came across a large map of Manhattan.  
  
I chuckled, remembering when I had asked Elder about it this morning. There was a strange pattern drawn across a large area, which was labeled "Central Park". I had squinted, trying to make out the tiny spidery writing.  
  
"The Sale of the Severe Wigs?"  
  
What the crap??!!  
  
I had read it wrong, but the writing was atrocious to begin with! When I asked the Elder, he had laughed himself silly. "It's actually 'the Seal of the Seven Wings'. Hahahaha! How did you come up with that?"  
  
I waited with good humor for the mad scientist to compose himself before asking about the Seal. I ended up getting some kind of vague explanation about some evil being sealed there. Either he didn't know or he didn't think I should know. I resolved to go there one day, to check it out.  
  
I rolled it up and threw it back onto a shelf somewhere. Bored, bored, bored. 

I looked around. The room was less messy compared to before, but it still looked as though a tornado had ripped through it. I sighed. I wonder if Rosette is having as much fun as I am.  
  
Pause. Hmmm...Elder was still sleeping...I grinned. Maybe I'll just sneak out and see how Rosette is doing.  
  
Slipping out quietly, I started off in the direction of the main buildings, sticking to the cover of bushes and shadows. Good thing I did too, because I was nearly spotted by two boys who were about Rosette's age. Curious. They were cursing Remington under their breath while they jogged and it was obvious that they had been running for a long time. I shrugged and kept walking.  
  
I stopped briefly when I saw a group of people nearby. There were children training with swords and other assorted toy weapons. Weapons to kill me and my kind. I shivered, before moving on, away from the exorcists in training.  
  
I stopped again when I heard voices. They sounded familiar...  
  
"You are not going anywhere, especially not to that demon!"  
  
I frowned. Remington? And the only person who he could possibly be talking to about "the demon" was...  
  
"Let me go!"  
  
Rosette!  
  
I found her struggling in Remington's grip.  
  
Furious, I charged up and yanked Rosette away from him. I put some distance between him and us before turning to bare my fangs at him in anger.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing!" I growled, keeping an arm around Rosette.  
  
Remington had looked lost for a minute, before his countenance grew hostile. "Yes. What was I thinking, letting one such as yourself come to our Abbey."  
  
I glanced briefly at Rosette. She was clutching the clock. "He knows."  
  
Turning back to Remington, I saw wildness in his eyes, though outwardly he appeared calm. His voice was cold when he spoke. "Leave now, and do not contact Rosette for any reason here after." His hand dropped to his belt, hovering above a large crucifix.  
  
I raised an eyebrow. So this was his plan. He knew of the contract now, and what it would mean for Rosette. There was no longer any need to keep me around. This was all just a show for Rosette. If I were made to leave while she remained here, I would not contact her in future because Remington planned on killing me s soon as I left the compound.  
  
"If I'm to leave, I'm not going without Rosette!"  
  
"She will stay under our protection. We will ensure her safety and well being by keeping her here."  
  
If I were in my true form this fool wouldn't be talking to me like that. In fact, he wouldn't even be talking at all. But I wouldn't unseal the clock just for something like this. If I could make it out of here with Rosette...  
  
Rosette stepped forward angrily. "You can't do this! What gives you the right to cage me up?"   
  
This must have triggered something in his memory. Something traumatizing and sad. The wildness in his eyes gave way to wide-eyed shock and pain, as if he had just realized what he had been doing. "Rosette, I..."  
  
This was the distraction I had been looking for. Pulling her close, I concentrated on the jewel at my wrist. The world spun like crazy as I accessed a power I had not used in many years.  
  
Where could we go to?  
  
I concentrated on the name of the first place that came to mind. _Central Park...  
_  
The ground solidified suddenly under our feet. I was too out of practice. Caught unawares, I fell, dragging Rosette down with me.

* * *

_Rosette:_  
  
I was dazed by the sudden change in scenery. What the...  
  
**Waahhh!  
  
Oooff!**  
  
My yelp was cut short as I fell onto the lumpy ground. I groaned, before becoming aware that the ground was rising and falling. Lifting my head up slowly, I suddenly realized that the "lumpy ground" was actually a hyperventilating Chrno.  
  
Crap!  
  
I blushed and tried to get off him. "Sorry!" My legs must have chosen that moment to impersonate jelly, because I collapsed right back onto him. Groaning, I smacked my head back down onto his chest. I thought I was embarrassed before, but now you could probably fry an egg on my face from all the heat that was coming off it.  
  
Chrno grinned. "Making...yourself...comfortable, are you?" I quickly rolled off him, not trusting my legs to work. "Are you ok?" I asked, face still red, but slightly worried as he continued to pant.  
  
He smiled reassuringly. "Just...let me...get my breath back." After a few deep breaths, he sat up. "Haven't done that in a while. Whew! What a rush."  
  
My eyes widened. "Speaking of which, how did you do that? I thought you couldn't use any of your powers unless the clock was activated."  
  
Chrno pushed up a sleeve to show me a metal band. He frowned when he looked at it.   
  
"What's wrong?" I asked, still looking at the trinket. It had a single jewel, which looked like a ruby with black clouds swirling in it.  
  
"This was the reason why I could teleport. I drew power from the jewel on this band, but..." Chrno chewed on his lip thoughtfully. "it was flawed to begin with, so it is not a reliable power source. I'll probably only be able to use it one more time before its power is depleted."  
  
He looked so very serious and thoughtful. I blushed when I caught myself staring at him again. I looked away quickly, determined to look anywhere else but him.   
  
"Where are we, anyway?"  
  
We were tucked away in a small clearing. But through the trees, I could see people here and there. I stood up, squinting. Weird people at that. Must be because the sun was going down or something.  
  
Some of them looked really peculiar. From the way that other people gave them a wide berth, I assumed that they were either crazy or dangerous. Either way, I made a mental note to be careful around those people if I saw them.  
  
Chrno also stood up. "This is Central Park. It was the first place that I could think of. Supposedly there's something evil sealed under here. Something so bad that it acts like a demon magnet."  
  
I peered at him curiously. "Well?"  
  
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Well what?"  
  
"Do you feel anything at the moment? The demon magnet thing, I mean."  
  
Frowning, Chrno closed his eyes. "There is something here, but I can't quite put my finger on it." He opened his eyes and shrugged. "Oh well. It's not any danger to us in the immediate future, so we don't have to worry about it for now. We're safe"  
  
Safe? How could he be sure? "What if they come looking for us?" I looked around anxiously.  
  
There was no doubt which "they" I was talking about.  
  
"How would they know to look here?" Chrno looked extremely unconcerned. "We teleported straight here, so we didn't leave a trail for them to follow. Unless they put up wanted posters or something, people won't know that the Magdala Order is searching for us. And even if that does happen, so long as no-one sees and reports us, we'll be fine."  
  
Seeing my skeptical look, he smiled confidently. "Don't worry. I'll take care of us."  
  
I smiled slightly in return. "We only lasted one day there. I bet they've never had anyone leave so soon. The only thing that I might miss would be the weapons class. I was actually looking forward to the demonology one as well"  
  
Chrno raised an eyebrow. "Demonology?" He said that like it was the most ludicrous thing he had ever heard. "You have a real live demon right here. If you wanted to learn about demons, I can teach you everything that there is to know."  
  
I grinned. "It would have been interesting, though, to learn how the Order perceives demons, so that I can see just how wrong their views are."  
  
"I'm not like most other demons though, am I?" His voice was still cheerful, but I could detect a hint of loneliness and sorrow. From what I knew, which wasn't much at all, Chrno was an outcast among demons.  
  
"Of course you're not, and why would you want to be like other demons?" When he looked at me I continued. "You are you. **Chrno**. Nobody else. You're kind and would never hurt anyone without reason. That's what makes you unique, what makes you, you."  
  
I flopped back down onto the grass. "It's like how the other girls at the Abbey don't like me very much, maybe coz I'm different to them...I don't know. The point is, I do what my heart tells me to do. I wouldn't change just to fit in with them. If they don't accept me for who I am, then I'm better off without them."  
  
He stared at me for a while, and I grew uncomfortable. "That's what I think, anyway."  
  
Chrno gave me a warm smile then. "Thank you." Moving toward me, he joined me on the grass. "That meant a lot to me."  
  
Although I wanted to ask why he was an outcast, now was not the time. I was sure that he would tell me someday, when he's ready to.  
  
We sat there in companionable silence, lazily watching the sunset. I leaned against his side slightly, but quickly pulled away when something dug into my side. I poked at his pockets curiously. "What have you got in there?"  
  
"Huh?" Chrno frowned and looked at where I was pointing. "Oh! I forgot about that. It's stuff from the Elder's workshop."  
  
"Pilfering stuff from your host, eh Chrno?" I teased. "You didn't seem like the type."  
  
Blushing slightly, he emptied his pockets. "It wasn't like that. I was just tidying the place after he blew something up. It just seemed easier to put little stuff in my pockets to sort out later."  
  
"Suurrreee..." I drawled with a grin as I began to pick through everything. It was mostly metal parts, but there were also some pretty trinkets mixed in there as well. "Can you draw power from these too?" I asked, handing one of them to Chrno.  
  
He took it and peered at it. "Hmmm...maybe. It wouldn't be as strong as a gem or crystal, but it is possible."  
  
I continued sorting through the junk. There were some useful little knick-knacks, such as a pocket-knife and matches. There was also some strange contraption which I'd never seen before. I raised an eyebrow when he pulled a gun out of yet another pocket. "You can't have just slipped that into your pocket like the other stuff."  
  
He grinned. "I believe in being prepared. Anyway, the Elder had so many there, I'm sure he won't miss one."  
  
"Right...anyway, your pockets are like bottomless pits. Just look at all this junk. Were you trying to empty the workshop of something?"  
  
Sighing, I stretched,sore from sitting in the same hunched position. Flopping onto my back to take a break, I stared at the sky for a while. It was a warm yellowy orange with tinges of purple beginning to creep in.  
  
"So...what do we do now?"

* * *

**_TBC  
  
Yes...what do we do now? Suggestions?   
  
A longer chapter this time to compensate for the shortness of the previous one. Hope it was ok. Thank you to everyone for giving me ideas and suggestions. _****__**

The idea about deep pockets came from me watching Doraemon. The Central Park idea came from ChibiSamiSala. I have never been to Central Park or America.

How can I redeem Remington. Any ideas yet?  
  
I just discovered something...I can't do funny! This chapter has a few lame attempts at humor, but I don't think it worked very well...woops. Oh well, I think I'll just focus on being serious. Why can't I be funny too..!! Boohoohoo!! Ok...rant over.

Why is it that the long chapters always come to me when I should be studying for exams? Shocking! I should exercise more discipline. But it's just so much more interesting writing this fic than studying.   
  
Oh well. Love it? Hate it? Review and tell all! Thanks once again for reaching the end of a very long chapter (by my standards, anyway).


	10. Chapter 10: Trust

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.  
  
**Author's Note: Well, here I go again...getting distracted from studying. Someone should whack me every time I get sidetracked. But if that happens, I'll probably end up in hospital because I just get distracted so often. Oh well...**  
  
lazy cat_

_Okie dokie. Longer chapters it is. Updates will be slower due to exams, but they should pick up again in 2 weeks time, hopefully, perhaps even earlier, depending on how often I get sidetracked._

_ruby-dream _

_Thanks for reviewing. Writing this fic is so much more interesting than studying. It's even more fun reading the reviews.  
  
NightElfCrawler  
Shrug...I reckon if Aion can do that kind of stuff, Chrno should be able to do some as well. Elder accumulates heaps of junk in the workshop, but it's mostly stuff that's broken. That's why Chrno can't rely on them as power sources. I just wanted to show that things of power could be used by any demon, eg the demon in Episode 2 using Spirit as a power source after he lost his horns.  
  
Izz _

_Ooohhh!! Most interesting. Nice to meet you by the way. Thanks for reviewing. Methinks I shall borrow this suggestion.  
  
Alpha Draconis 1  
My newest reviewer! Hurrah! Thank you!  
_

_

* * *

_

_**Chapter 10: Trust**  
  
Chrno:  
_  
Indeed. What do we do now?  
  
I didn't have the foggiest idea. All I had been concerned about was getting away from that place. Beyond that...well, I hadn't actually planned that far ahead yet.  
  
"It's getting dark," I began slowly, "so maybe we should find somewhere to stay for tonight. There's really nothing more that we can do until tomorrow morning."  
  
We wandered around for a while, avoiding contact with other people. It would be best if we were seen by as little people as possible. After all, people would be suspicious seeing two children wandering around by themselves in Central Park after dark.  
  
"Hey! I think I see something!" Rosette pointed in the direction of a hazy silhouetted blob in the distance. We were in a really secluded area and it was dark. If there had been no moon, we would not have been able to see the shelter. We trudged over and peered in cautiously. Luckily there was nobody.  
  
Sighing with relief, we went in. It wasn't much, but at least it would shield us from the cold and prying eyes. "This will have to do for now until we can find something more permanent." I said apologetically to Rosette.  
  
Rosette nodded. "It's ok. Everything will be alright, so long as Chrno is with me."  
  
My heart clenched at that. She had such faith in me. Why?  
  
We both settled onto a bench, drawing close to each other for warmth. I cradled Rosette to my side as she drifted off. My thoughts wandered back to Rosette, and the trusting way in which she had said _'Everything will be alright, so long as Chrno is with me.'_  
  
Rosette had never been afraid of me. Although she had been startled the first time she saw me and when I first reverted to my true form, there had never been any actual fear. Just like Magdalena. Unlike Magdalena though, this girl was so vibrant and full of life. But for how long?  
  
I was the demon who would most probably bring about her death. What had been accomplished from our contract? Joshua had still been taken away, and the only way I could protect her was by taking from her soul...her life.  
  
What would become of us? Our major long-term plan had always been finding Joshua. But, though I hated to admit it, there was very little we could do at the moment. Rosette was still young and untrained in combat. And with my powers restricted...there was not much that we could accomplish.  
  
Would it have been better if I had let Remington dispose of me?  
  
Except for this girl, there was not really much for me to live for. And by taking her from the safety of the Magdala Order, I was making her endure hardship which could easily have been avoided.

My thoughts were interrupted as Rosette snuggled up closer. She seemed so peaceful, I wonder what kind of dreams she has. I never really slept much, especially not after my fifty year hibernation. When I did sleep, nightmares tormented me. Horrible visions of the results of my guilt, my sin. My imperfection that had led me to make decisions which seemed rash and unreasonable in retrospect.

Sighing, I continued my train of thought from where I had left off. The truth was that I was being selfish. I would rather take her with me than leave her among strangers. Strangers who would still have been able to offer her better care and training. She would stand a better chance of finding Joshua with them, I knew. Yet even so, I didn't want to let go of her. She was important to me.  
  
I wanted to protect this girl. I wanted to watch her grow into the strong woman that I knew she would become. I wanted to always be there for her.  
  
Lost in my thoughts, I began to drift off.  
  
Soft footsteps brought me snapping back to alert wakefulness. I tensed. I could sense another demon nearby.  
  
I shook Rosette awake.  
  
"Wha..!!"  
  
I put a hand over her mouth, to silence her. When she frowned and nodded, I removed my hand, motioning for her to stay low to the ground and follow me. As we crept out, we spotted it.  
  
A demon without rank or name, by the look of it, only slightly more advanced than a Legion. They had no purpose, only following instinct, which was usually to kill or cause as much mayhem as possible. Taking care of primitive demons like that should have been as easy as swatting a bug...if I were in my true form. But now...  
  
I did have that one jewel, but it was unstable and unpredictable. Using it once had already corrupted it, because of the flaw which was originally there to begin with. With the jewel, I might be able to access some of my powers in this form, but I didn't know if I could channel enough energy from it for a transformation. And I didn't want to open the seal...  
  
I suddenly remembered the gun. I took it out and quickly examined it. Six bullets. Should be a piece of cake. Right?  
  
The demon turned and stared right at us.  
  
_'Right...piece of cake...'_

* * *

_Remington:_  
  
Please let Rosette be alright.  
  
I had been too impulsive and careless. Now the demon had run off with her, and our only clue was a strange device from the Elder.  
  
When Rosette had been taken, I had immediately gone to check on the Elder. I had found him cleaning up his workshop, grumbling about Chrno.  
  
When I told him about Chrno and Rosette, he had shaken his head. "You were pushing too hard, Remington. Of all people, you should have known to proceed with more caution in such...delicate matters."  
  
I had known. But it had been so like that time with Magdalena... 

And history usually had a funny way of repeating itself...

I had not told Sister Kate about any of this yet. This was my fault, my responsibility. I wanted to handle this as quietly as possible, but even so, I needed Elder's help. Hopefully, we would be able to find Rosette and Chrno before morning, before anyone realizes that they had disappeared from the Abbey. If anyone asked, then we could just say that they had been in the Elder's workshop all night, chaperoned by me and the Elder.  
  
Elder had rummaged around before coming up with some odd device. "Now," he had said, twiddling with the contraption, "I had woken up to find my assistant gone, along with some bits and pieces from my workshop. If he has also taken what I think he probably has, then finding them will be a very simple matter."  
  
He had laughed with delight when the boxy machine went haywire. "Yes! We have a reading!"  
  
Which was what had led us to Central Park in the middle of the night.  
  
"What are you getting a reading from, anyway?" I asked the Elder curiously as we got out of the car.  
  
"Chrno took one of my experiments with him. It's a small device which gives out a very specific signal to this contraption here." Elder hefted the boxy machine when he said this. "I'm hoping one day to use it to create a portable telephone for the field teams."  
  
**Bang!**  
  
We both whipped around to the direction of the blast. A roar of rage was followed by several more gunshots.  
  
"I think we've found them..."

* * *

_Rosette:_  
  
Crap! 

What do we do now?  
  
Chrno had aimed for the demon's horn. He'd missed and now we had an angry...scratch that...pissed off demon on our tails.  
  
Chrno turned sharply, gun cocked and ready to fire at the demon chasing us...only to find that the demon had vanished.  
  
I slowed down and glanced over my shoulder, freezing for a second before screaming. "Chrno! Watch out!"  
  
**Bang!**  
  
The demon had blindsided him, but Chrno had still managed to fire off one shot. The gun flew out of his grasp. Something else also flew away. A sharp, twisted horn.  
  
The demon was roaring in fury and agony. Chrno was on the ground. I ran forward and shook him. "Chrno!"  
  
He groaned. "Rosette...run..."  
  
I shook my head and dragged him closer. Frantically, I looked around for something...anything that we could use to defend ourselves. Spotting the gun nearby, I grabbed it desperately.  
  
It was heavy. I shivered and shook as I trained the gun onto the demon. I'd never done anything like this before. Physically standing up to bullies was one thing. Actually trying to kill something was a totally different matter. But if I didn't do it, then we would be doomed. This should be simple, I had watched others doing stuff like this. You just point and shoot...right?  
  
Closing my eyes, I pulled the trigger.  
  
**Bang!**  
  
I opened my eyes and gulped. I hadn't missed, but I hadn't dealt a lot of damage either. And the demon once again had its attention on us.  
  
I pulled the trigger again.

Click.  
  
Empty.  
  
Crap!  
  
The demon advanced towards us, sensing that we were helpless. I tried to shield Chrno as best I could. I noticed the jewel at his wrist glowing slightly and his cuts beginning to fade. He was attempting to heal himself. But the glow flickered and died before he could complete the process. It had run out of power.  
  
Then something clubbed me and the world went black.

* * *

_Remington:_  
  
We arrived just in time to see Rosette being batted aside by a demon's tail. Chrno was in pretty bad shape too.  
  
Charging forward, I activated my sword and impaled the demon. It roared before disintegrating in a cloud of black smoke.  
  
Chrno noticed our presence soon after. He backed away towards Rosette, not taking his eyes off us. I advanced slowly, pausing when he quickly swiped at the ground, picking up something sharp, while still warily eyeing my sword.  
  
Intriguing. From what I had seen of his powers, he was supposed to be an extremely powerful demon. He could have transformed and destroyed the other demon with the simplest of ease. Yet he had not. Why? Was he truly worried about Rosette? Was she really more than just a source of power?  
  
I could finish it here and now. But that would not help me in gaining Rosette's trust, nor the demon's cooperation. I deactivated my sword, noticing Chrno's surprise.  
  
"Come." I reached out my hand. "Let's go back to the Abbey for now."  
  
Déjà vu. Almost the same situation as when I had first found the two of them. Except that this time, I was offering the invitation to Chrno. He stared at me mistrustingly.  
  
"I swear that I will not try to separate you from Rosette or kill you." I promised, putting the crucifix away to emphasise this. I gave him a comforting smile that had been perfected over many decades. It was such an easy and well-practiced mask to slip on, and it was effective for most people. Too bad it didn't seem to work on this demon. "Besides, neither of you are in any condition to go anywhere else."  
  
Rosette probably had concussion or something. Chrno was covered in cuts and looking slightly groggy. Even then, he was still half slumped protectively over Rosette.  
  
"I know that you have no reason to trust me at the moment, and for that I am sorry. I owe you two an apology for the way I acted. I was too impulsive." I spoke carefully, gauging his response.  
  
Chrno's looked surprised, though still wary. Encouraged, I continued. "I will explain myself to you, but this is neither the time or place to do so. Let's go back to the Abbey now. Any decisions that need to be made can be done after the both of you are rested and recovered."  
  
He stared at me, weighing out his options. Relief flooded through me as he finally nodded. He still looked suspicious, but at least he had agreed.  
  
I reached over to pick up Rosette, but stopped immediately when he glared at me again, fangs slightly bared. He raised his hand warningly, still clutching the sharp object. It looked like...a horn?  
  
"I'm only taking her to the car. I won't do anything else." I spoke soothingly, trying to pacify him. One wrong move, and he might do something unpredictable. "I can take care of her better than you can, at the moment."  
  
His expression did not change, but he lowered his weapon and backed away very slightly. I slowly picked her up, before straightening up, careful not to make any sudden movements. I could hear the Elder breathing a sigh of relief. He had not spoken during the whole exchange. Neither had Chrno, for that matter.  
  
Chrno's silence throughout the whole one-sided conversation was unnerving, but he hadn't needed any words to convey his feelings. He didn't trust me for a minute. This was tricky. Dealing with him was like walking through a room of starving wolves with steaks tied around me. Every step must be taken slowly and carefully.  
  
I looked over to see him helping Chrno to his feet. Chrno's gaze remained locked on me, warning me.  
  
I fought back the urge to shiver.  
  
Turning, we headed towards the car, stopping briefly when the Elder picked up the gun which Rosette had dropped.

* * *

_**TBC  
  
Must study...but too boring...NOOO!!! Oh well. Another chapter done. Chrno lost his rank when he became a Sinner, but what was that rank? It must have been pretty high, since he was so powerful.  
  
Can someone suggest a rank for him? I can't think of one. He's definitely not supposed to be as powerful as Duke Dufoe (everyone spells this name different, there's at least 3 different ways I've seen so far, so I'm spelling it the way Chronogen did), but he's more powerful than Viscount Relaie.  
  
Dammit! I hate this stupid ranks, I have no idea what's better than what. Curses. Oh well. I was going to write more, but I'll just put it in a new chapter. It looks very annoying writing so many character perspectives in the same chapter. You constantly have to switch viewpoints and it can get confusing.  
  
Anyways, hope you enjoyed that. Review at your leisure. Must get back to studying...crap! **_


	11. Chapter 11: Conversations

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo._  
  
_**Author's Note:  
Hello everyone! This is me one day before the exam, having given up studying for the next few hours.  
**_  
General thanks to all regular reviewers of the previous chapter  
lazy cat, NightElfCrawler, ruby-dream, Die Kikyo Die  
  
Welcome new reviewers  
kitsunedemon, Kaolith

* * *

_****_

_**Chapter 11: Conversations**_

_Remington:  
_  
We snuck back to the Elder's workshop. No one was awake, except for those who were patrolling the compound, and they were easily avoided.  
  
The first thing that I did when we got there was to tend to Rosette's injuries. There was a nasty bump at the side of her head, but given time to rest, she should be fine. I placed her on Chrno's bed, since he was adamant that we put her in his room instead of the couch. I tried to be as gentle as possible, though she didn't even stir when I tightened the bandage around her head. When I was done, I sat back and observed her for a minute.  
  
She was so very young; slightly younger than Magdalena had been when she had been brought here. Sister Kate had decided that unofficially, Rosette would be my ward, at least until she became a full-fledged exorcist. It had been simple in Magdalena's case. All I had needed to do was follow her and ensure that she was protected at all times. I could not do this with Rosette though, for two reasons.  
  
The first was that my presence would be unnecessary. She would be surrounded by people during class time and it would most likely be embarrassing for an independent person such as Rosette to have me hovering over her all the time. That would not help in getting her to trust me. This had never been a problem with Magdalena though. While I wouldn't say that she was submissive, she had still had a much more calm and passive personality. Magdalena had the calmest blue eyes, so kind and compassionate...  
  
A slight commotion outside the room broke my train of thought made me turn around briefly to peek outside. Elder was having trouble since Chrno was fidgeting and being uncooperative. Obviously I was taking too long with Rosette. Chrno had made it clear that he wasn't comfortable leaving her with me. Here lies the second reason.  
  
If I wanted Rosette to trust me, I had to get her away from Chrno for a while without making it seem like I was doing so. And to do this, I needed Chrno to trust me or at least tolerate me around Rosette. Quite a challenge, I must admit.   
  
Sighing, I covered her with a nearby blanket, before leaving her to rest. Hopefully she would feel better in the morning.  
  
I came out of the room to see Elder finish binding Chrno's wounds. Chrno had quieted down as soon as I returned. "So Remington, what is the alibi going to be?" Elder asked when I walked up to them.  
  
Hmm...this required some thought. We had originally wanted to say that those two had been in the workshop all night, but that wouldn't explain why they were injured.  
  
"Well..." I sat down and began slowly. "people know that I took Rosette away for a chat after class. We won't deny that I had spoken to her and if anyone asks what the conversation was about, I'll just say that it was confidential."  
  
Elder nodded slowly, as he began packing up the medical supplies. Due to the nature of his experiments, it did seem extremely wise to always have a good stock of medical supplies in here. I continued spinning the tale. "We can however, truthfully admit that I had said something to upset her. Then we'll say that she ran off without permission to go find Chrno at your workshop. You had some kind of explosion occurring this morning, didn't you? We could attribute Chrno's injuries to that incident."  
  
"That makes sense, I suppose." Elder said thoughtfully. "But what of Rosette. How do you explain the concussion?"  
  
"Hmmm..." This was tricky. But then, I lived for subterfuge. I looked around the still semi-destroyed looking room. The Elder was walking around, looking for somewhere to put the first aid kit. Not looking where he was walking, he nearly tripped over a pile of unidentifiable slag, but caught himself just in time.  
  
I suppressed a chuckle, before an epiphany struck me. "How about this? Rosette was helping Chrno to tidy up the workshop, but she tripped on something and banged her head."  
  
There was silence for a minute before the Elder cackled. "That's the best you can come up with." Elder wheezed incredulously.  
  
I raised an eyebrow. "Can you do any better?" I said with a grin. He just shook his head and tried to compose himself. "Anyway, however lame the excuse is, at least the two of them will be in less trouble."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Surprised, we both turned around. Chrno was looking down at his injured arm. He had not spoken until now. "Why are you protecting us?"  
  
He looked up at us with piercing eyes. "Isn't it in your best interests if I were proven to be as dangerous as you believed I was so that your superiors would have all the more reason to get rid of me?"  
  
Hmm...how to respond to that? I knew that he was dangerous. No matter how good and kind he may turn out to be, I could not forgive him for what happened in the past. What he did to Magdalena.

But Rosette needed him...for now. "Tell me, what did you plan to do after the two of you successfully escaped?"  
  
Chrno was thrown for a minute at the abrupt change in topic. "You didn't answer..."  
  
I cut him off. "What would you have done with a young girl and restricted powers? Where would you have gone? Would she have been better off?" He said nothing at that. I grinned inwardly and mentally patted myself on the back. I was a master at directing conversations where I wanted them to go. I motioned for the Elder to leave us for a moment. He frowned, but complied nonetheless.  
  
When he had left the room, I continued. "I am obviously concerned about Rosette. Although I'm not an expert on human-demon contracts, I do know for a fact that it is often more detrimental to the human partner. It seems highly unusual that a demon would care so much about their contractor the way you do. I would have thought that most demons would have just consumed their contractor's soul in one go, uncaring of the consequences." I looked carefully for a reaction, but his expression revealed nothing.  
  
"Why did you make a contract with such a young girl?" I emphasized 'young' and was rewarded with an expression of guilt flashing across his face. "I see now that you care greatly for her. If that is so, then why did you condemn her?"  
  
I gave him ample time to absorb this, as we sat in silence. I took a perverse pleasure in Chrno's pain, which was much more obvious now. I wanted him to suffer, this demon who had caused me such lingering sorrow for the past fifty years.

His voice was thick when he at last replied. "I wasn't the one who suggested the contract. Rosette was the one who requested it. It was because she wanted to save Joshua."  
  
I nodded in understanding. I had guessed that it had been something about Joshua which had lead Rosette to make the contract, but I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised to learn that Rosette had been the one to suggest it. She had always been strong willed, stubborn and prepared to do anything for the sake of her beloved brother. But going to the extent of a contract with a demon?  
  
I shook my head slightly, then addressed Chrno again. "Why is Rosette so important to you?" He gazed at me with an unfathomable look. "The contract was made to save Joshua, but you did it mainly for Rosette's sake, not Joshua. It was because she requested it. From what I understand, she persuaded you to let her become your contractor. You could easily have refused, but you didn't. Why?"  
  
Chrno thought for a moment before replying. "I don't really know." I frowned at this. He took no notice as he sat there staring at his hands. "I guess...I didn't want to see her crying. I could not refuse her because it seemed like the only way at the time."  
  
He said no more and for a while, neither did I, lost in thought as we were. I mulled over the circumstances of these two. Chrno had, to my knowledge, been sealed and dormant for the last fifty years. Since he seemed so close to Rosette, I would assume that it was she who had awoken him. But an ordinary human could not have opened the seal on the tomb. Joshua must have been there at the time as well. They must have been the only two people to be in contact with him, considering how close the three of them seemed. To have been trapped in despair for so long, then to be brought back by two small children...I suppose I could see why they would be important to him.  
  
Finally, I broke the silence. "I think I understand you better now. Perhaps now would be the best time to answer the question that you asked me earlier."  
  
Ok...this is where I have to work hard and win his trust.  
  
"If Rosette stays here, she will most definitely be trained as an exorcist. The children here are mostly from families in the city and there are very few who have no place to return to after their schooling, as in Rosette's case. Since Rosette is so young, unofficially, she will be my ward until she becomes a full-fledged member of the Magdala Order. Because of this, her safety is my concern. As such, I have the authority as her guardian to make decisions regarding her well being."  
  
I let Chrno absorb that before continuing. "Officially, I'm allowing you to stay because we need to keep an eye on you two, and make sure that the seal on the clock remains closed at all times."  
  
Chrno laughed humorlessly. "At least you are being honest."  
  
I smiled. "Unofficially though, I am letting you stay because Rosette needs you and vice versa it seems. This way, you can protect her and honor your promise to go with Rosette to find Joshua when the time comes."  
  
He was surprised at this and looked at me searchingly for a moment. I had pasted a very benign expression on my face. "...Thank you." He said hesitantly after a while.  
  
"I'm willing to accept your presence if you can do the same." I raised an eyebrow at his slightly confused look. "There will be situations where I may take Rosette away for a while for field work and where you cannot follow. I need you to be less protective of Rosette and trust me to be able to take your place at certain times."  
  
Chrno frowned mistrustfully. "I promised that I would always be with her..."  
  
"And you will." I intercepted smoothly. "But that does not mean that you need to panic whenever she is not in sight. She is my ward and I also have a responsibility to watch out for her. That doesn't mean that I will be hovering over her all the time though. Some times, overprotection may do more harm than good."  
  
Seeing his confused expression, I smiled. "Think about it. Rosette needs to become stronger. But she won't be able to do so effectively if you are always there acting as a safety net. She needs to learn to handle situations on her own. Encountering obstacles and overcoming them is a part of growing up after all. If we shelter her too much, she will never grow."  
  
Chrno was looking torn, and I knew then that I had won. All that was needed was one more little push. "There are times when we can take care of her better than you can." When he gave a small nod of resigned agreement, I felt a huge surge of triumph.

* * *

_Rosette**:**_ **__**  
  
Why does it feel so hot in here? My head was pounding like crazy too.  
  
Something cold and comforting was placed on my forehead. I sighed in relief and leaned into a cool hand which was gently stroking my face. Chrno?  
  
"Time to wake up, Rosette."  
  
Wait a minute. That voice didn't belong to Chrno...  
  
My eyes flew open and I sat up immediately, or at least I tried to. Not a good idea. My head protested at my sudden movements and I fell back down, dizzy and nauseous. Luckily, Minister Remington caught me and eased me back down.  
  
"Easy now, that was a serious concussion."  
  
What? I pressed a hand to my head. The throbbing turned into a sharp pain which lanced through my skull when I became conscious of it. My head was bandaged tightly. Slowly, I remembered what had happened, though it was like peering through fog, hazy and muffled. I watched him as he reached towards the nightstand and poured me a glass of water.  
  
"Where...where are we?" My voice was scratchy and hoarse.  
  
"Drink this first." He helped me sit up slightly and raised the glass to my lips. I sipped at the water slowly. Although I was thirsty, I didn't really have the energy to down the glass in big gulps, though I wanted to.  
  
When I finished drinking, I repeated my previous question. Remington put the glass back onto the nightstand. "We're back at the Abbey in Elder's workshop. He and I went to Central Park to retrieve the two of you last night."  
  
I frowned and looked around. I was in Chrno's room. "Where's Chrno?"  
  
"Sleeping outside on the couch. He didn't want to leave your side, but I convinced him to rest for a while so that his injuries would have a chance to heal themselves." Remington assured me. "I promised him that I would stay here to watch you and tell him the moment that you woke up."  
  
I expected him to get up and go find Chrno, but he didn't. He remained seated next to the bed, looking at me contemplatively. "But, I wanted to talk to you first. To offer my apologies."  
  
"I wanted to apologize for my behavior the last time I spoke to you. I wasn't thinking properly that day and I'm sorry that I frightened you."  
  
I was surprised at this, but a little suspicious at the same time. He smiled at my wary expression. "I think I understand your situation better now. I had a long talk with Chrno last night. He explained to me about the contract and why you chose to make it."  
  
Wow. Must have been some talk for his attitude to change so much. He surprised me even further. "Now about last night..." I stiffened, but he smiled and leaned towards me, winking conspiratorially. "We're not going to tell Sister Kate what really happened so we made up a story. If anyone asks you, just tell them that you spent the night here unconscious."  
  
My eyes widened. "Are you telling me to lie? I thought people like you weren't supposed to lie, or worse, encourage it."  
  
Remington grinned, "We're not really lying though. You were here unconscious. Just say that you were with Chrno and that you had a bit of an accident while you were visiting him. Officially, we are saying that you came to find him while he was cleaning up after Elder's explosive experiments. You were helping him, but you tripped over and hit your head on something, giving you a nasty concussion."  
  
I raised my eyebrow. "I'm not that clumsy, am I?"  
  
"Would you prefer that Sister Kate learns the truth?" he said, matching my look with a raised eyebrow of his own. "This way, though you'll still be in trouble for seeking Chrno without asking permission, it won't be as bad as if they had found out what really happened. Hopefully, Sister Kate will say that your concussion was punishment enough for your disobedience and won't be too harsh with you."  
  
I nodded slowly. "But why are you helping us?"  
  
Remington laughed, amused and slightly exasperated. "Chrno asked me that last night as well. I've seen that he is of no threat to you and that you need each other. He will be allowed to stay because of his promise to you. I trust that since he is more comfortable with the idea of staying, you will be too."  
  
Wow. Perhaps this guy was more reasonable than I first assumed him to be. He had such a kind and patient voice too. "Thank you for everything, Minister." He's not so bad after all.  
  
He smiled. "I just wanted us all to understand and trust each other. I'm glad that we finally do." He stood up and headed for the door. "Elder has already gone to tell Sister Kate where you've disappeared to before she has a heart attack. You can stay and rest here for the rest of the day. I'm sure it will be all right if you skipped classes for today. I'll go get Chrno now. He'll watch you for the rest of the day."

* * *

_Remington:_

I woke Chrno up and left him to talk with Rosette. He would take care of her for now. Chrno was more protective than the fiercest of guard dogs. Hopefully though, our talk last night would have mellowed this urge slightly. I grinned as I remembered one of the myths concerning Magdalena, which had inspired an artist to create that surreal painting hanging in one of our many corridors. It was of a woman and a lone wolf.  
  
Chrno the Wolf...it was quite an apt analogy. He was an outcast who had been tamed by a human, and was fiercely protective of the one who had won his loyalty. I wonder if he had been like this with Magdalena as well.   
  
Still, to Chrno, Rosette was his world, of that I was sure. But what of Rosette? Her brother had been everything to her. And now there was Chrno. What would happen once they had recovered Joshua? For certainly, she would value her little brother much more than this demon who had caused her so much pain just by associating with her.  
  
But most certainly, this problem would not surface for a few more years yet. Still, it would be an interesting issue to ponder over during breakfast.  
  
Rosette had been quite forgiving and easy to win over in comparison to Chrno. But then, even though she had gone through so much, she was still only just a child. And children are so easy to mould and manipulate.  
  
I left the workshop feeling deeply satisfied. Two problems solved in one night. Now all I needed to do was wait and watch, as I usually did.

* * *

**_TBC  
  
And back to studying I go. Remington is so manipulative and evil. Still need a rank for Chrno.  
  
I hate exams. I'm going to fail. On a positive note, my chapters are slowly getting longer though. Slowly but surely. Usually they are only 2000 words, but I think I hit the 3000 mark this time, not including all the extra junk at the beginning and end. Hurrah.  
  
Please review and provide me with a pleasant distraction from the woes of my exam. Thanks for reaching the end once again. _**


	12. Chapter 12: Dullness

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.  
_  
_**Author's Note:  
Hurrah! I returneth! It was so shocking. I should have been studying. But during my exam period, I opened Microsoft Word and basically brainstormed, typing down random ideas for my fic. When I tried to string them together, I found myself looking at something which could potentially be the ending for my story. It was quite cool and I was like, "HEY! THIS IS MY ENDING!"   
  
Now I just have to find some way of guiding the fic towards that particular end, which I thought was quite awesome. As such, after this chapter, I will try to speed things up a little, hopefully. Still, this is my first piece of prolonged writing. I want to savour it as much as possible.**_

_**Consequently, as you can see, my 'studying time' was not used very productively. Thanks to everyone for reviewing. I thought this was a very slow chapter, but it was necessary because I had to lay down the groundwork for stuff which will happen in the future. Bear with me. I promise you a spectacular ending, hopefully (gulp).**_

* * *

_**Chapter 12: Dullness**_

_Rosette:_

Sigh. Another day.  
  
After that incident at Central Park many days ago, life had fallen into a very dull cycle. Funny enough, when word had gotten round about what had supposedly happened to me, people were even more reluctant than before when approaching the vicinity of the workshop. I wouldn't have been surprised if Minister Remington had been the one to encourage the rumour, since the possibility of someone spotting Chrno had been much reduced by this.  
  
My roommates had been mildly curious about my whereabouts that night. They had quickly lost interest after I fed them the story about my getting a concussion. Predictably, Elizabeth had been very scornful, with a 'serves you right' attitude that really grated on my nerves.  
  
The orphanage had always been a warm place. Even though I had often been in the thick of fights and boisterous arguments, there had always been affection for the others who I considered like family. This place offered me no such comfort what so ever. To me, it was a freezing cold environment devoid of all emotion. People here usually moved so slowly that I often wondered if there actually was a designated speed limit.  
  
I mostly sat by myself at breakfast time. It was lonely, but at least I wouldn't be tempted to hurl my food at the next person who found something about me extremely funny. And so it was that this morning, like the ones before, I found myself trudging off to class on my own.  
  
I was not happy. All through breakfast, people had been pointing at me when they thought I wasn't watching, whispering and giving me odd looks. Seriously, if they were trying to be secretive, they were doing a pretty bad job of it.  
  
Boring, boring mornings, as usual. I liked it better in the afternoons, because that's when I had weapons intro and demonology. Demonology turned out to be a sort of informal seminar in one of the larger classrooms where members of the Militia would regale us with stories of past missions and discuss the different weapons and strategies, which one would use against demons and poltergeists. However, there were some instances where we were shown interesting stuff, like today. The speaker was none other than Remington himself.  
  
It was late in the afternoon and everyone was tired, but they had all perked up as soon as they'd seen him. There was no need for introduction, since everyone knew who he was. I was more interested in the thing that he was taking out of the box he had brought. Remington looked pleased at the sudden attention that he got. He held out the object. "Does anyone know what this is?"  
  
Luke called out. "It's a horn." It was, in fact, the horn of the demon that had been disposed of at Central Park the other night.  
  
The Minister nodded. "That's right. But can anyone tell me what kind of horn this it. What creature could it have come from?"  
  
Nobody answered. Remington looked around. "Nobody?" His eyes locked onto mine and he smiled encouragingly.  
  
"It's a demon's horn." I said. People around the room turned to look at me and began chattering softly. I frowned. This wasn't excitement and awe that they were being shown a demon horn. It was more the fact that I knew what it was, that had set off the murmuring.  
  
Remington frowned as well, and the class quickly settled back down. Everyone was tuned in to his moods when he was around. He didn't need words to convey his intent or opinions. I noticed that the Minister had a funny effect on people. When he was happy, when he smiled, the world seemed so much brighter. When he frowned, it was like standing outside just before a thunderstorm. Luckily for them, none of the people here have ever seen the angry side of him as I had.  
  
He shook his head slightly in disapproval. Everyone looked contrite and slightly subdued, but relaxed again when he continued with a smile. "Yes, this is indeed a demon horn. We believe that this is the source of a demon's power."

Michael waved his hand excitedly. "Did you kill the demon when you took its horn?"  
  
I felt disgusted. This boy was sick. He was always so gleeful and excited about battle and mayhem. Even if we were forever being told that demons were evil, this was still a sentient being we were talking about here. When I become an exorcist, would I be so hardened to death and violence one day that killing would be like second nature?  
  
Remington shook his head. "The demon was destroyed, but not because it lost its horn. A demon can still survive without the horn, though not for long. If a hornless demon wished to stay alive, it would need an alternate source of power."  
  
The class was enraptured. I already knew all this though, having experienced it myself. I thought that Remington would use me as an example, but he didn't even mention anything about demon contracts. Instead, he then went on to lecture a bit more about horns. This bit I did listen attentively to. "Different demons have different horns. There are many classes of demons, and they have a system or hierarchy, which we will not be looking into today. All you need to know for now is that there are lower demons and higher demons. Higher demons usually possess a rank of sorts."  
  
Remington passed the horn to one of the boys at the side of the room. "You may pass this around to get a closer look, but please be careful with it." Returning to the front, he continued talking. "The demon to whom this horn belonged to had been a lower demon, because he only had one horn. Higher demons usually have two. Unfortunately, I cannot show you a sample pair, but just know that in comparison to the one which is being passed around, the horns of a higher demon are usually much larger and more impressive, although they can vary greatly between each demon."  
  
The horn got passed to me and I just stared at it for a while, before handing it to the person next to me. This horn was rust-coloured and slightly twisted, almost resembling a thunderbolt. I tuned out Remington's lecture and thought back to that night at the orphanage. Chrno's had been ivory and smooth, as well as being much larger than this one. So Chrno is one of there 'higher demons'. I wonder what his rank was then?  
  
"OY!!!"  
  
I snapped back to attention, thinking that Remington was yelling at me. But no. He was looking past me. I turned around. Michael and Luke had been playing with the horn, and Luke had had the horn raised to his forehead. Both had frozen at the cold fury which Remington had directed towards them.  
  
"NEVER...do that again." Striding up to their desk, he quickly confiscated the horn. Everyone gaped at him, stunned. Remington never yelled at anyone, because he never needed to. They had never heard him raise his voice in anger before.

Remington sighed. "I suppose I should have explained this before I let you pass the horn around." He returned to the front of the room and placed the horn on the desk at the front. "Horns are very powerful objects, which can only be used by demons. The more powerful the demon, the more dangerous the horns are. Humans cannot use them without adverse effects to the mind and body."  
  
He didn't elaborate any further. I knew that it had been for my sake, since he had cast concerned glances in my direction during that little spiel.  
  
Joshua had been tormented by those horns. Chrno's horns. They'd given him the power to freeze the time of anything which he wished to "stop". He had ripped our family and home apart, all in one night.  
  
All because a vile monster had given him Chrno's horns. And it had changed him. Made his body seem stronger, at the cost of his sanity. He had looked so pleased with himself, standing amidst our frozen family, with blood running down his face.  
  
_'It's alright Rosette. You don't have to become a doctor.'_  
  
My world had revolved around taking care of Joshua. I had wanted to protect him from everything. But, I hadn't seen how much it had hurt him until that night...  
  
"Rosette." I looked up and gasped. Remington was standing in front of me, but everyone else had gone. "Class finished a while ago."  
  
Flustered, I got up. "Sorry, I..."  
  
He smiled in amusement. "It's alright. I should be the one apologizing. I'm sorry that I made you recall such a painful memory, but I had to make sure that others also knew the danger that demon horns represented, so that we won't ever have a repeat of that incident."  
  
I nodded, but wanted to steer the conversation to somewhere less painful. "I'm ok. That was an interesting talk that you gave today. Will you be lecturing again some other time?"  
  
My lame and desperate attempt at changing the subject did not go unnoticed, but Remington humoured me. "Perhaps. I don't really know yet."  
  
I started inching towards the door. "I hope you will. Anyway, I'll just be going..."  
  
"Wait a minute, please." He said. I paused mid stride. "There's actually something that I wanted to talk to you about." I turned around slowly. Remington looked very serious. "The other day we sent some people out on a clean up mission to the orphanage. It seems that they had taken some of the older children with them as well for field experience, since the danger appeared minimal. All of them were briefed about the incident, leaving out some important details, of course. Unfortunately for us, they guessed that that was the orphanage from which you came from, since the time of the incident coincided with your arrival." He watched cautiously for my reaction. "I believe that was what all the fuss was about."  
  
I stared at him for a moment in disbelief. Then, to Remington's surprise, I chuckled. "Is that all?"  
  
Remington looked very confused. I grinned at this. "I don't care that they know about the orphanage and I certainly don't care what they think of me. I came here to become stronger, that is all. Making friends would have been a bonus, but it is not one of my top priorities. If they don't like me for who I am, then they are not worth the time and trouble to get to know."

* * *

_Remington:_   
  
She was so strong. It was strange to see such inner strength in one so young. I knew what it was like to sacrifice everything for a cause, but not having people around to help and support you was a lonely existence. Independence was good, but would she actually be capable of surviving such emptiness?  
  
Rosette grinned. "And besides, I'll always have Chrno. That will be enough for now, at least until we find Joshua."  
  
Ah yes...the demon, always the demon. She actually preferred him to other children of her own kind. It was passing strange. Looks like our attempt to make her interact with others would not go as well as we'd like.  
  
Still, I was making progress in some ways. I had been attempting to 'wean' her off the demon. I was doing it slowly of course, not exactly restricting her, but merely suggesting that she only visit him once a week. I encouraged Rosette to cultivate her already sizeable interest in the weapons class during her free time, since she clearly did not care much for the mainstream classes.  
  
She was warming up to me, I could tell. This was a good development. Surprisingly, Chrno had not really been all that upset. That talk I had with him must have been more effective than I had hoped.

* * *

_Chrno:_

Sigh. Bored, bored, bored...  
  
Elder was out again, doing who knows what. I was stuck in here as usual. My days were so monotonous. Get up, then...usually nothing, unless Elder needed help with something.  
  
At least Remington actually allowed her to come visit regularly. Still, on days like this...there was nothing to do, but read or poke around the workshop. There were quite a few interesting books in the Elder's possession, most about the supernatural and odd theories which seemed to be very seriously written, but was quite hilarious when read from my point of view.  
  
Sigh...I wonder what Rosette is doing?

I was halfway to the door before I managed to stop myself. Remington was right. I shouldn't act like this, I would only be smothering her. But it was so boring here! Going back to my room, I plopped back onto the bed and just stared at the ceiling for a while, before reaching for a book that I had recently been reading.  
  
It was quite interesting, talking about psychic abilities and dream walking. Not sleep walking, but dream walking. That's where one being can actually place themselves into another's dreams, using psychic powers or some kind of special bond. I wonder if that includes the bond of a demon and its contractor. I hoped that this would work, because then I could be with her no matter where Remington takes her.  
  
I was tempted to try immediately, but I thought it would be better to ask Rosette first. It would have to wait till whenever I next saw her though. With nothing better to do for now, I went back to sleep...only to be awoken a while later by the sound of someone trying to sneak up to me. She took a deep breath, probably planning on giving me a loud wake up call.  
  
"Hello Rosette." I said calmly, not opening my eyes.  
  
I could hear her deflate with disappointment. "Damn...How come I can never sneak up on you? No fair."  
  
I grinned, content to just relax and enjoy her company as she chattered about the usual things; like how boring school was and how most of the people around here were like human icicles. She would change topics so abruptly, that if you didn't manage follow what she was saying, you would be lost a minute or two into the conversation.  
  
Rosette was the warmest thing in the entire area, personality wise. No one else was ever able to feel as intensely as she did, or express it as exuberantly. It was the ability and capacity of humans to feel so passionately that had first fascinated me about them. Although no one who I had met in the past could ever compare to Rosette.

**_TBC_**

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**_Hmm...not a particularly riveting chapter, but I'll do better in the next one. I used up all my creativity making up essays in the exams which were full of waffle and repetition). This chapter was mainly more character building and giving background for what is to come later.   
  
So tired, the exams really drained me..._**


	13. Chapter 13: Time Flies

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.  
  
__**Author's note: **_

_**Exams are over! YAHOO!!! This chapter will speed up. Introductory info will be over for now after this chapter. We begin moving towards the time frame of the manga. YAY!!!!  
  
Time flies in this chapter. I tried to make it flow as best I could, but I don't think I achieved it terribly well. Still, at least we are finally getting onto familiar ground.  
  
**evilanimeblond22, NightElfCrawler, kitsunedemon, ruby-dream _

_The real action will begin once all the background info is given, I promise. Thanks for reviewing and for bearing with me during my stressful exam period.  
  
Die Kikyo Die__  
Yeah, Remington is quite evil. It's good that you dislike him, because that means I'm writing properly. I might try to redeem him later on though. Until then, keep up the dislike. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
Belle  
__Welcome new reviewer. I'm having trouble twisting the story towards this ending, but I will make it work even if it kills me, never fear.  
  
Star Sage  
Hihi! Forgot to welcome you in the last chapter. Thanks for reading my fic. Hope you continue to follow it._

* * *

**_Chapter 13: Time Flies_**  
  
_Rosette:  
_  
It's funny how time works. It never ever feels the same length. Some days might crawl by so very slowly, then others would just fly by before you had time to blink. And everything changes with time, even though changes are not always visible.  
  
I had changed so much, the most important change being my aversion to killing. I had been so excited when I had finally been allowed to practice with guns, even though they didn't have actual bullets. Still, my aim had been terrible. I would lose it at the last instant, because I was hesitant to pull the trigger. It was because I didn't ever want to hurt anyone or anything. Taking a life was something that I just couldn't do.  
  
Then one night, Chrno, Elizabeth and I were almost killed in the Elder's workshop when a freak accident happened. I had snuck out to visit Chrno and obviously, Elizabeth had followed me. She acted so self-righteous, lecturing me about rule breaking and affiliating with demons and crap.  
  
While we were there, a power outage had allowed some demon creature to escape from one of the holding tanks. We had managed to defeat it after I had used a gun from the workshop to shoot it, with Chrno's help. Elizabeth had come out of it relatively unscathed and Chrno had been heavily wounded, though it was nothing that could not be healed by briefly opening the seal. He didn't let me do this though, claiming that he would heal himself in time.  
  
I hadn't been physically injured, but I had felt cold and tainted on the inside. I had killed. I remember feeling clammy all over, the gun feeling so very heavy, and not knowing whether I was laughing or crying. The shivering wouldn't stop. I had protected my friend, but...  
  
I had gotten up slowly and begun walking...somewhere. Apparently, someone had been calling me, but it hadn't filtered through to my brain because I had been so shocked. I was stopped when Chrno grabbed my wrist. "Rosette! Where are you going?"  
  
"Just...away..." I had said in a detached sort of voice. "Don't worry, I'm fine."  
  
"No you're not." He said softly, looking into my eyes. "It's ok now, Rosette. The creature can't hurt you anymore. It's dead."  
  
This had snapped me out of my shock and I turned my head away, eyes stinging furiously as the tears started to pool. "It's dead because of me! Because I killed it!"  
  
I collapsed onto my knees sobbing with that simple truth. Chrno knelt down in front of me. "Rosette. There was no choice. You can't go through life thinking that you'll never hurt anyone, because you will, especially when you try to help others."  
  
I had cried even harder. Sighing, he had given me a loose but comforting hug, wincing as he aggravated his wounds. "Would you rather that your friend had been hurt?" I remembered looking up at him through watery eyes as he smiled, brushing my tears away. "A very wise person once told me this; if you protect someone, you will most certainly hurt another. It happens when you live. It is unavoidable"  
  
He was right, of course, but this really hadn't made me feel much better. When people had come to investigate the ruckus, Chrno had quickly hidden. Elizabeth and I had been sent to the hospital wing for the rest of the night, after a stern scolding. We weren't wounded, but they had just assumed that we were in shock, which was quite true in my case.  
  
As I lay in that bed, I had shivered. Sleep hadn't come easily, because I was anticipating horrible visions of blood and death. But when I did manage to fall asleep, I had rested peacefully, because Chrno had been in my dreams, comforting me throughout the night and protecting me from my nightmares.  
  
After that night though, I was more confident when handling the gun. I came here to become stronger and that was what I would do. I still disliked playing the role of executioner, but I realized that sometimes it had to be done, for the sake of others.  
  
That wasn't the only good thing which came out from that night. After the incident, Elizabeth became my very first friend since I had arrived at the Abbey. Through her, I managed to somehow connect with some of my other classmates, so that we were at least cordial with each other now. That didn't mean that they would pass up a chance to tease me whenever I was overexcited. Even after Elizabeth left the school, I still had other friends, though not as close as she and I had been.  
  
Remington had been quite pleased that I was finally making friends. "Now I can leave without worrying about how you will be when I'm gone." He was leaving for some kind of mission, the first of many over the next few years. It was always to search for something, though he never told me about the mission in detail.  
  
Remington used to take me with him on fieldwork sometimes. I both loved and hated it when he did this. I loved that he took me on interesting assignments not comprising of 'cleanup work' as most of the other kids were stuck with, but hated that sometimes he would just vanish in the middle of a situation and leave me to find my own way out of the chaos. Often I would find my way back to the car feeling totally exhausted and bruised, only to see him leaning against the vehicle fresh as a daisy, grinning at the state I was in before giving me a lecture criticizing whatever it was that I had done wrong during my assignment.  
  
I missed him, those times when he was away. To me, he was guardian, teacher and friend. I had grown quite fond of him over the past few years.  
  
No one could ever take the place of Chrno though, and he was still the most important person to me. After the fuss over the incident at the workshop had died down, I had gone to visit him. I had been wondering if the 'dream walking', as he calls it, would have drained from my soul, but he had assured me that it did not. It was a skill that merely required concentration and a strong bond between the Walker and the Sleeper.  
  
From his explanation, I gathered that this was similar to 'Diving' into a person's soul. I had learned to 'Dive', but I wasn't terribly good at it. Theoretically, if Chrno could enter my dreams, I could also go into his. Unfortunately, I often lacked the concentration to do so.  
  
After three years at the Abbey, Sister Kate had reluctantly agreed to let Chrno interact with the outside world. He was introduced to everyone as the reclusive assistant of the Elder, who would also help out with chores around the place. Nobody really spoke to him much, after the initial curiosity had died down. After all, he wasn't being schooled. He must be some kind of charity case. That was the general opinion, although some of the older girls liked to exclaim over him, saying what a cute little boy he was.  
  
To me, Chrno was like a not quite little big brother. He was always there in the background watching out for me, always ready to jump out and help. Whenever we were together, there was an easy kind of affection, like how it had been with Joshua. Unlike with Joshua though, there was no need to treat Chrno like he was fragile glass. I didn't need to worry about holding back my strength, though whenever I overdid it he would look at me with the expression of a wounded puppy, making me feel remorse for a fleeting second. But he had a sunny disposition and was more resilient than a cockroach, and so the momentary guilt would be gone soon after.  
  
But he was not really like a brother. Though there was fondness in his eyes, there were times when there was something else, something...intense in his gaze when he glanced at me. It would be gone in a flash, but I knew that it had been there.  
  
I knew what I was, temperamental, emotional and impatient. I always demanded so much from him, yet he had always humored me. He had the air of someone who was waiting...for something.

* * *

_Chrno:_  
  
I had slowly begun to step back as Rosette began to come into her own. She was growing up and learning to become stronger. I gave her all the room that she needed to do so. Remington was right. Children wouldn't know how dangerous fire was until they are burned. They needed to make their own mistakes and learn from them in order to grow.  
  
Rosette had become much more independent and willful, though she had already had both qualities in large measures even before coming here. These traits had merely been amplified as she grew more confident and sure of herself and her skills.  
  
Physically, she was blooming beautifully. She did not have the classic beauty of a fragile sheltered flower, as Magdalena had possessed. Hers was more the allure of a wildflower armed with thorns, admired by all, but touched and known only by those who knew the nature of her thorns. Did she know how important she was to me?  
  
I wanted to tell her how I felt, but I wanted to let her mature more, since it never seemed to be the right moment. It would not be fair to tie her down emotionally and burden her with such knowledge when she clearly was not yet ready to love. But when the time comes, I will know. Until then, I would be content to wait for now, even though I knew that time would forever be against us.  
  
Elder had finally perfected the Sacred bullet and portable telephone after years of experimentation. These things were now widely used by exorcists on fieldwork. When Rosette 'graduated' after four years, she became a full- fledged exorcist and was officially allowed to go on missions by herself. I accompanied her as her assistant. Sister Kate had not wanted me to, but Rosette and I had insisted. Elder had surprised me with a present of sorts. It was a bulky, carry box containing assorted weapons, as well as a built in telephone. "This is mostly for Rosette. But..." he pulled two blades from the bottom of the box. "...these are for you, so that you also have something to defend yourself with." I had been quite touched by this considerate gesture.  
  
Our first mission turned out to be quite disastrous. We did successfully vanquish the poltergeist, but the house at which this incident occurred sustained a lot of costly damage. Rosette had been just a little too eager. She may have become more confident in her skills, but she lacked a certain...finesse.  
  
Remington had been quite amused when he heard about this. He had laughed, but then congratulated Rosette on 'completing' her first mission. She had blushed at this. She did that a lot around him nowadays. I wasn't terribly worried. It was most likely just a crush. Just so long as it didn't develop into something more...and if it wasn't reciprocated, I was willing to let it slide. But I did catch myself glaring at Remington quite a few times whenever this happened.  
  
A trend was beginning to form. We would go out on missions, defeat a force of evil, then find that we would have to churn out yet another apology letter for destroyed property. And of course, Sister Kate would scold Rosette so loudly that the whole Abbey could hear.  
  
Rosette got better though, with each new mission. Her performance rose to spectacular heights and she was making quite a reputation for herself. As her skills improved, the weapons that she was given by Elder became more and more destructive, as did the damage which she would inevitably cause.  
  
I got the feeling that she was the favorite guinea pig for his dangerous new creations, like how he had let her use the 'Gospel' bullet on her last assignment. He was quite the demented old man, a well-known pervert, but he was relatively harmless. It was embarrassing to be associating with him when he got 'urges' to lift women's skirts, but I usually let Rosette handle him by herself. She was more than capable of doing so anyway.  
  
This time, he had introduced her to a new bullet called 'Spirit'. I was a tad worried when I heard that it held a demon inside. But Rosette, as usual, was excited at the prospect of playing with this powerful new toy. She snuck off with the bullet while the Elder was still in the middle of some explanation.  
  
Grinning, she had gone to test it out, only to unleash some monstrosity which promptly destroyed the target practice room. We took one good look at it, then we ran like hell.  
  
"What is that thing?!" Rosette screamed at me in panic.  
  
"It's the demon that was inside the bullet!" I yelled. "Though it's a low class one that has no intelligence."  
  
We had one gun with several Sacred bullets, which should have done the trick. Rosette pivoted and fired shot after shot. I slowed down when she seemed to have the situation under control.  
  
Click. The gun was jammed.  
  
The next thing I knew, the creature had knocked Rosette flying. She wasn't moving. It was like déjà vu. The situation was just like that night 4 years ago at Central Park. I felt fury clouding my mind. "You pathetic low rank scum that doesn't even have a name! How dare you touch my important contractor! Now she isn't able to move!"  
  
Rage was burning through my veins, screaming for release. I felt power crackling...yes, I would use this power to destroy the low class trash that had dared to hurt Rosette...I would kill and maim...I would...  
  
My murderous thoughts were interrupted as I was pushed off my feet by something. I glared down at the offender, fangs bared. Who dares...!  
  
It was Rosette, desperately screaming at me. Her words began to filter through. "Stop! Change back, Chrno! I'm alright! I'm alright!"  
  
As we hit the ground, I realized what I had been about to do. Rosette started telling me off for being too impulsive, but I unashamedly interrupted by hugging her tightly. "You're ok..." I cried, relieved. "Thank goodness you're ok."  
  
It didn't matter that I was being totally embarrassing. She was alright. That was all that mattered to me.

* * *

_Sister Kate:_  
  
I had known from the start that it was a bad idea letting that demon stay here. Now I was being proven right, he had lost control of himself. I had fully been prepared to order his execution. But Remington had stopped me, saying that this was a test for the two of them. Was he insane?  
  
Chrno was completely berserk now. He would most likely turn on everyone after he had destroyed that other demon.  
  
But then Rosette had calmed him down. Elder was right. Rosette herself was a much more effective limiter on Chrno's powers than the seal itself. Chrno was on the ground now, tightly holding onto Rosette, not willing to let go. The two of them defied everything which I had ever been taught about demons.  
  
It was monstrous, humans and demons were not meant to coexist together. Yet these two were living proof that such a relationship was possible. They were friends. I suppose I should be happy that the relationship was nothing more than that. 

**_TBC_**

**_

* * *

Hehehehe...! We shall prove just how very wrong Sister Kate is. Chrno is such a snob, isn't he? There's nothing like the good old-fashioned disdain of the gentry to put the peasants in their place (I'm being sarcastic here, by the way). Anyways, I can't think of a rank for him still.  
  
Chrno and Aion should have the same rank. Should I just rank them as 'Duke'? Maybe they have the rank because they were born into it, but they are not as powerful as Deufo because he is older and has more experience. Tell me what you think. Otherwise, they will be ranked as 'Count'. _**

Just so everyone knows in case they haven't figured it out, my fic is different in the fact that Chrno is less mopey about Magdalena. He still feels sorrow, but in my story, his interaction with Rosette before the Seventh Bell incident helped him to get over most of the horrible self loathing.  
  
This piece of writing took just over 6 whole pages on Word when I typed it. I tried to stretch it, but then that would have been overdoing it, so I had to stop. It got to the point where I was just slotting in sentences in random places to fill up pages, so I realized that I should just leave it as it was.  
  
Shrug. Anyways, hope this chapter was alright. How's this for a speedy update? See you soon. SWEET, SWEET FREEDOM! NO EXAMS!


	14. Chapter 14: Stealth and Wealth

_

* * *

_

Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.  
  
**Author's note: I started writing this chapter very late at night for some odd reason. I nodded off right in front of the computer and had the strangest dream. It was really freaky, because it felt like I was watching an episode of Chrno Crusade, only it was really warped and definitely wrong. I dreamt that Jenai got together with Rosette, weird as it was, then things got really ugly when Chrno appeared. Very, very scary. Note to self, don't ever stay up late to write fanfics. Scary dreams of alternate universes tend to follow.  
  
Horrible writer's block. Crap...it doesn't seem possible. I mean, theoretically, all I have to do is follow the manga, right? But I just realised that unless you have read all the volumes, my story doesn't really work properly coz it doesn't flow. It jumps too much. Oh well. Too late to go back. It's so hard to present my own thing without rehashing the manga...sigh, hopefully, since I'm slowly working my way through Volume 1 at the moment, no one is lost too much yet.  
  
I swear I still am following the manga, but for some scenes, I just think that the anime portrayed it better and it fits my story better for that particular part, so...if you spot inconsistencies, that's why.**

evilanimeblond22

_Hi again! Thanks for reviewing. I hope the exams went ok too. I don't want to do those horrible subjects again!  
  
MytholoManiaC _

_Good point. They are Sinners after all. Thanks for reminding me of that fact. And thanks for reviewing.  
  
NightElfCrawler _

_Hehehe! Sir Chrno? Hmmm...right. Methinks I'll just read the translations as well. Thanks for suggesting that and for reviewing.  
  
Die Kikyo Die _

_I__ updated quickly coz I just finished exams and I was like "WOOHOO!" I have nothing better to do with my time, so I spend most of my time in front of the computer and brainstorm. I'm slowing down though, running out of steam. Hey this is funny! You're getting grudges against the 'evil' characters in every chapter. That's good!  
  
ruby-dream _

_T__is ok about the rank thing. I don't think that I'll put as much emphasis as I originally planned to. No worries. Thanks for reviewing once again. Always a pleasure to see my regular reviewers.  
  
HypeRAzNChocobOGoddesS _

_Um...thanks. Welcome new reviewer! Methinks you've had too much sugar, but thank you for the generous reviews.  
  
Kawaii Spinel Queen of Evil_

_ Hello! Thanks for the lovely comments. It's for people like you that I suddenly feel inspired to write quicker._

* * *

**__**

**_Chapter 14: Stealth and Wealth_**

_Remington:_

I sat waiting in Sister Kate's office. Right now she was no doubt supervising Rosette and Chrno's punishment. I chuckled at the thought of them grumbling and whinging about how harsh Sister Kate was.   
  
When had I started to care so much? It had seemed so simple at the beginning. All I had to do was get Rosette to trust me. If we could control the girl, we could control the demon. But Rosette had proven to be very difficult to tame, with her mulish stubbornness and a talent for getting in trouble. Such things should not have served to endear her to me. They were a constant source of headache for Sister Kate, but to me, it was like a breath of fresh air in this stifling place of rules and solemnity.  
  
Rosette intrigued me because of her ability to feel so intensely. She seemed to have accepted her fate, since she always tried to live every minute to the fullest. But she had never regretted making the decision to become Chrno's contractor. She had told me so herself, in her usual direct and frank manner.  
  
She expressed herself freely and openly in everything. That girl was fiercely loyal and protective of those who she befriended. These were all too few, though at least she was no longer singly attached to just the demon. And if she didn't like you, she made it very clear, as she had done to me at the very beginning.  
  
It was strange. But sometimes when I spoke to Rosette, it felt as if I was speaking to Magdalena again. They were nothing alike, but for their connection to the same demon. It wasn't that Rosette reminded me of my former ward. Perhaps it was that same feeling of ease and fondness that I had for her. Or maybe it was because she was the first who I had allowed to get closer to me since that time. I had not spent so much time on anyone in ages. After all, when you lived for as long as I did, you tended not to attach yourself to people; especially those who you knew to have a much- shortened lifespan.  
  
Rosette was a fighter and survivor. She never gave up, overcoming all obstacles which had arisen during her training. I was so proud of her. She was fearless and brave. I liked to think that this was due to my influence.  
  
_'It's a given that you're scared. You're dealing with monsters here. But the most important step is the next one. You must realise that even if you're scared, you still need to take a step forward.'_  
  
But I couldn't take all the credit. It had been her own strong will which had helped to carry her through the training. Teaching her had been challenging, tricky and frustrating. It was also one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences I'd had in quite a while, although I couldn't quite say the same for Sister Kate.  
  
The door opened. Well, speak of the devil. "Sorry for making you wait, Minister Remington." Said Sister Kate, as she closed the door. She made her way to her desk and sat down with a sigh, directing a long-suffering glance at the stack of reports on her desk.  
  
I smiled sympathetically. "You look worn out. I thought Rosette was the one being punished."  
  
She rubbed her temples. "That girl...! I still say that it's your fault. You were always too lenient with her. And Elder too! Always letting her play with dangerous things." Sighing, she leaned back in her chair, eyes closed.  
  
I chuckled. "She needs to be exposed to danger, more so than the others. She has a very perilous path ahead of her. The other trainees of her age will probably never face the dangers that Rosette has and will experience. I would say that she has benefited greatly from her training. Look how fearless and strong she has become."  
  
"I would actually call that recklessness, though." Sister Kate looked at me in disapproval, daring me to challenge her.  
  
"Well, I suppose that's another way to look at it." I said sheepishly. "But that's where Chrno seems to come in. Several times in the past, he has been that little voice of reason. He has mostly been well behaved and has proven to be extremely useful to our cause."  
  
"Funny how this 'little voice of reason' displayed none of that quality today." She gave a very humourless laugh. "I thought you had been trying to separate those two. You certainly spent the better part of the last four years doing so. So why the sudden change of heart? Why did you agree to let him go with her on missions?"  
  
"Because I've already accomplished that which I was trying to achieve." I replied flippantly. "We have managed to get Rosette to trust and even to confide in me. She sees me as the guardian and Chrno as almost like a brother. That arrangement suits my purposes well."  
  
Sister Kate raised her eyebrows. "Oh? And what would these 'purposes' be?"  
  
"I'm afraid that is something which I cannot tell you. Just trust me that as Rosette's guardian, I will be watching over those two very closely. You needn't worry about the matter too much." There were some things that I just couldn't disclose to Sister Kate, no matter how much I respected her. "I believe it should still be alright to have Rosette go on missions with Chrno."  
  
She sighed. I knew how frustrated she must feel, being left in the dark about something so important. She knew it would be best to trust me in such matters, but that didn't make it easier for her to accept. "As long as you're sure." She said wearily.  
  
"I'm sure. Thank you for understanding." For the moment, the only person who I trusted to confide in was the Elder, the person who had known me since before my Change. He was the only one who understood and knew of my vendetta against demons, and Chrno in particular.

* * *

****

**Several days later**  
  
_Chrno:  
_  
I sighed for the umpteenth time, as I waited for Rosette outside her room. She had just been briefed about a new assignment, which supposedly required for her to go undercover. She had run excitedly to her room, thrilled at the prospect of dressing up.  
  
Rosette hadn't even told me what the mission was, so I couldn't prepare for anything until she was done. I sighed again. Seriously, I had been waiting for over half an hour already, ever since she had dragged me up here. How long does it take to put a dress on?  
  
After what seemed like ages, I went and knocked on her door. "Hello? Are you done yet, Rosette?"  
  
"I think so." She called. "Come in."  
  
I opened the door, then froze. She stood there in a curve-hugging pink dress and balanced on high heels, looking at me expectantly. "Well?"  
  
I stopped breathing. My face started to go red. As I stood there unblinking, I started feeling light headed from lack of oxygen. Rosette shifted nervously at my stunned silence and prolonged stare, seeming uncharacteristically shy.

-

-

Finally, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I burst out laughing. She gaped at me in shock as I collapsed against the wall, weak with laughter. "What is so damn funny?!" She demanded, shaking her fist at me dangerously. Ah yes, that was more like the Rosette that I was used to.  
  
My stomach hurt. I had to suck in deep breaths before I could answer. "I'm sorry, Rosette...you do look nice...it's just..." I let out another chuckle. "what kind of mission are we going on, anyway? Can you even walk in those shoes?"  
  
She strode forward angrily, blushing like crazy. I stopped laughing right away, eyes widening as alarms started blaring in my head. Something tells me that I'm in for a world of pain. "Eep." I scooted to the other side of the room, braced for any sudden attacks.  
  
Rosette whirled to face me, the epitome of rage. "You..!" Unfortunately, this impression was slightly spoiled when she tripped and went sprawling flat on the floor. That just set me off laughing again. I couldn't help it. It was just so...cute. Rosette had never to my knowledge "dressed up" before.  
  
I stopped immediately when I noticed that she hadn't actually moved from her spot on the floor. I cautiously crept towards her, arms raised in defence, just in case. "Rosette?"  
  
Concerned at the lack of response, I dropped my arms and moved forward some more. Usually at this point she would be giving me death stares or knocking me unconscious. I frowned. Was that...sniffling? Rosette doesn't weep. She bawls, she howls, but she doesn't usually '_cry_' cry. She must be taking this pretty seriously, if my comments hurt her that badly. I mentally smacked myself for being so insensitive.  
  
"I'm sorry Rosette." I reached out to comfort her, suddenly feeling wracked with guilt. "You do look very nice. I'm sorry I laughed at y..." She grabbed my wrist and held on with a vice like grip. _'Uh-oh...'_ The sniffles had suspiciously stopped. I should have known better.  
  
She looked up with a maliciously evil grin. "SUCKER!" I turned tail and fled. Or at least I tried to. Rosette pounced on my back with a demented cackle and I was suddenly introduced to the very unfriendly floor. She crowed with victory as she straddled my back. "This is what happens to mean little demons who laugh at other people's misfortune, Chrno!"  
  
She then happily proceeded to knuckle my head.

* * *

_Remington:_  
  
I grinned. You could always tell when Rosette was around, even when you were two corridors away. If ever you needed to find her, all you had to do was walk towards the room where chaotic noise was emanating from. I wasn't really supposed to be walking around the women's quarters, but no one would notice my presence if I did not choose to be seen. I was used to being stealthy and lurking around odd places anyway. I paused at the door and watched their antics for a while. The room's occupants were so busy that they didn't notice my presence at all.  
  
Chrno had watery eyes and had his arms held protectively over his head, whimpering pathetically. Rosette had him pinned on his stomach and had obviously been punishing him in some way. It was times like this that almost made me pity the poor demon. Almost.  
  
I wonder if this was the kind of treatment Joshua would have received if his body had not been so weak. Exerting physical dominance over others of equal age or younger seemed to be Rosette's favourite way of showing affection. It was as if Chrno was a soft toy. The signs of wear and tear were proof of just how much it was loved by the owner. But still, it was such a...violent kind of affection.  
  
Everything seemed normal enough to me. Shrugging, I left them to it and slipped away.

* * *

****

**At Melda Hotel, several hours later**  
  
_Rosette:_  
  
We were finally inside the hotel. We hadn't left until much later than expected because I had decided to take Chrno's advice and practice moving around in my outfit. It was awkward at first, but I got the hang of it after a while.  
  
Poor Chrno. I think he was still slightly disoriented and confused from earlier on. He seemed to be very slow on the uptake. I had to explain the mission to him twice. "So, let me get this straight." He said slowly. "We have to kidnap..."  
  
"Rescue." I interrupted.  
  
"Fine. 'Rescue' this girl..."  
  
"Apostle." I corrected.  
  
"...from Ricardo Hendric, her legal guardian..."  
  
"That title is rather questionable." I cut him off again. "And besides, supposedly the circumstances in which she was adopted are very suspicious. For example, all the people in the band that she was previously with had mysteriously vanished."  
  
Chrno waited for an exaggerated moment. "Finished?" I grinned guiltily. He shook his head slightly with a slight grin of his own. "Whatever. But we're supposed to bring her back to the Order, right?"  
  
"Yep. That's basically it." I thought that it was a relatively straightforward assignment, but Chrno was looking very thoughtful. Shrug. My job was to act first and ask questions later.  
  
So here we were. We had managed to get in, but now we had to somehow sneak past the guards to get to the amphitheatre in the back of the hotel. Supposedly everyday at regular intervals, the Apostle was forced to sing, though we weren't told why.  
  
"Maybe we should observe the guards for a while before trying to sneak in." Chrno suggested. "The Apostle isn't due for a performance till an hour or so later. Until then, we should find somewhere nearby and try to blend in."

* * *

****

**An hour later...**  
  
_Chrno:_  
  
"I know I said to blend in, but..."  
  
Rosette was happily preoccupied with the slot machines. Our very limited supply of money was being depleted even as I watched. Rosette had gone and changed all the money to coins, just so she could play on the slots.  
  
"Come on, Rosette! We need to go. It's almost time." I looked around nervously.  
  
Like the several dozen times before, Rosette ignored me; that is, until she inevitably ran out of coins.  
  
"Chrno. Coin."  
  
Oh well. This was the last one. At least afterwards, we can be sure that she'll stop playing, if only because we had no coins left. I watched as she turned back to the machine with new determination. Rosette was really scary sometimes...  
  
Aarrgghh!!!  
  
**!!!  
**  
What the crap?! Things had just gotten even scarier. I grabbed Rosette and ran away from the ruins of the ex-properly working slot machine before people started to notice.

* * *

****

**A brief argument and a few minutes later in the amphitheatre...**  
  
_Rosette:_  
  
Chrno always spoils my fun. Oh well...time for work.  
  
We were perched in one of the upper level viewing boxes. There was no one else in the theatre except for Ricardo Hendric and his servants at the front.  
  
"So that girl is our target?"  
  
I looked to where Chrno was indicating. A girl had just walked onto the stage and was obviously about to perform. "Yup! That's our target; Asmaria Hendric, rumoured to be one of the Apostles."  
  
"Hmm..." I frowned at his response and turned to look at him. Chrno seemed to be debating whether or not to tell me something. "What is it?" I asked. The more people didn't want to tell me things, the more curious I got.  
  
He started off slowly. "Think about this carefully. This is a child with special powers. The Magdala Order is taking the child away from their legal guardian to be 'protected'. Doesn't this sound a lot like Joshua's case?"  
  
"Eh?" My eyes widened in shock. Now that you think about it...I lost my train of thought when Asmaria started singing. Wow...if ever I were to hear an angel sing, it would probably sound something like this.  
  
"She has a beautiful voice." Chrno murmured after a while. "But why did we get an assignment like this. We're exorcists, aren't we? Where does the demon bit come into this mission?"  
  
"It's her foster father." I pointed to the front row. Chrno suddenly stiffened. "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with Ricardo Hendric?"  
  
"No, it's the man beside him. I think I know him." Chrno narrowed his eyes. "He's a demon, if he is who I think he is."  
  
He knows that cone head? That's bad then. I strained my eyes, but I couldn't make out much of him except for that ridiculously shaped hat. He had to be a demon, to have such bad taste in hats. The 'King of Hotels' was a creepy man with an equally creepy entourage of servants. It shouldn't be too surprising that a demon was among them. "Ricardo Hendric is rumoured to be a demon worshipper." I said thoughtfully.  
  
"Demon worshipper?" Chrno suddenly had an impish grin on his face. "When you say that do you mean like _'Hail to thee...'_ kind of worship, or is that the general term you people use nowadays for people who associate with demons? I'm kind of thinking it's the latter, since Ricardo doesn't seem to be 'worshipping' him. So if that's the case, then technically you're a demon worshipper as well."  
  
I gaped at him. Chrno was so weird sometimes. He would be all serious one minute, then light hearted and totally odd the next.  
  
"I don't know." He continued. "I don't feel a lot of 'worship' being directed at me, so to speak. But maybe that's the general trend nowadays. Look at that guy down there. He looks more like a servant than a master."  
  
His grin faded, and he was once again sombre and pensive. "But if he is that person, then there is no way that he would ever serve a human. It doesn't make sense..."  
  
Ok...Chrno's mood swings were really starting to scare me.  
  
The singing stopped abruptly. "Come on, Chrno. Time to go."  
  
We left quickly and eventually found ourselves in a lightly crowded corridor with an elevator at one end. People had given me strange looks when they'd seen Chrno following me. "So what's the plan now?" Chrno asked. Hmm...I looked at the nearby elevator. I also spotted a window nearby. Chrno followed my line of sight, then took a step back when I gave him a very wide grin. "Why do I get the feeling that I won't like this plan?"

**_TBC_**

* * *

**_  
  
Too tired. End here for now. Writer's block is a terrible thing. Oh well. Sorry for the comparatively long wait compared to the previous chapter. That one was quick. But I had a bit of trouble with this one. Then, my computer stuffed up so I couldn't use it for a day or two. Anyways, please review at your leisure. Need to revise volume 1, methinks._**


	15. Chapter 15: Rescue Mission

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.  
  
**Author's note: Sorry everyone! My computer has been having issues for the past few weeks. Anyways, I'm finally able to pull myself back here to finish off this chapter. Sorry for the long wait. My head feels so stuffed though. Writer's block as well...sigh...**  
  
NightElfCrawler, ruby-dream, kitsunedemon, Fall's Plight, evilanimeblond22  
Cool! Thanks for the reviews guys.  
  
HypeRAzNChocobOGoddesS  
Remington is so evil isn't he? When I first started writing the story, I didn't actually consider making him so...angsty? But then after a few chapters, I was like, 'hey, let's keep going with this idea." That is how Remington ended up as the manipulative evil person whom you read of. Thanks for the review. Hope to see you again. Sugar is very, very good.  
  
BelleDayNight  
Thank you newest reviewer! Each chapter gets better thanks to the reviews of my readers, who give me suggestions or question any inconsistencies which they spot. Feel free to throw ideas at me or tell me what you would like to happen in the next chapter. All sorts of reviews are greatly appreciated.  
  
Die Kikyo Die  
Do you reckon I should make Remington less evil? My fic will have a happy ending, hopefully. I'll be following the manga closely, but I will end it happily, for Chrno and Rosette at the very least.  
  
Lady Yami  
Eek! Update coming right up...Joshua is so evil. Tiny possible spoiler just for you: He will still be saved in the end, but I don't like how he's immediately forgiven for all the pain he has caused. He will suffer from guilt and self-loathing for at least one chapter before I let him off the hook (If I do get around to writing it, that is). But he should also get a happy end...hopefully.  
  
Kawaii Spinel Queen of Evil  
Coolness. Thanks for reviewing. Hope to see you again.  
  
Zilleniose  
Yeah. I thought about that time leap thing too. Do you reckon I should just split it into two different stories from that point? I dunno. I am still following the manga, but the events would be seen from the perspective of certain characters, to sort of give insight on their thoughts and insecurities. I would like to change the way some events turned out, but it depends if I get inspiration or not.  
  
Youkai Ryuu  
Cool! New reviewer! This will continue to the end, but I don't know how long it will take me to get there. I have sort of written the climax/ending (?) and I am extremely satisfied with it. I just hope that I can bend the story to head towards that direction._

* * *

**__**

**_Chapter 15: Rescue Mission_**

_Asmaria:_

__  
  
I couldn't take much more of this.  
  
This place seemed so...dead, despite the light and glamour of the casino, just like its owner. 'Father', that's what I was supposed to call the man who had adopted me. He provided for me, giving me luxurious living conditions. But there was no affection towards me in anyway. I only ever saw Father whenever I was brought out to sing at the amphitheatre downstairs. Otherwise I was confined to my rooms, seeing no one but the occasional maids and guards.  
  
Singing had always been fun and uplifting for me, but now it was becoming an onerous task, because I was forced to do so several times per day. At first, I tried my hardest, thinking that my singing would please Father. But he had seemed unimpressed by my singing; only looking extremely dissatisfied each time. Father's assistant was scarier than him. Relaie was a creepy pasty-faced man. He was the person who had taken me to this place.  
  
I had gone from one relative to another after my parents had died. They had always been kind enough to give me shelter and food. It was never much and I was nearly always cold and hungry, but I understood that since they had their own children to look after, I was fortunate that I got what they gave. Still, it had hurt that those who were my kin were weary of my powers. Singing had given me joy and release, but I could not indulge often in this, since it made people afraid of me.  
  
I had been so happy when the band had recruited me. I'm sure my relatives were glad too, since that meant that there would be one less mouth to feed. Everyone in the band had been so very nice. It had been so strange, because they had loved my singing. Before, the only receptive audience that I had had were birds that would gather whenever I sang. But this was the first time that I had gotten a positive reaction from the people who heard me sing.  
  
It had been so heart warming, to be around people who actually wanted me. I had finally felt accepted in a place where I belonged. It hadn't mattered that we were a small band, or that everyone had to work hard. There was always an atmosphere of warmth and affection, with everyone looking out for each other. We hadn't been well off, but we shared what we had and somehow managed to make ends meet. I had been happy.  
  
Then one day, Relaie had shown up and I had been brought here. I had not felt truly happy or comfortable in years. Lately though, I've been getting horrible premonitions of something similar to impending doom. Father had grown shorter tempered and would often send me back to my room with an increasingly unfriendly look in his eyes whereas before it had only been a neutral uncaring expression.  
  
Now, sitting alone in my room, I decided. I would leave tonight. It didn't matter where, so long as I got away from here. Somehow, I would find my way back to the band, back to where I would be loved.  
  
It was this thought which helped to keep me calm during the escape attempt. I shook all over, but managed to wait patiently until the coast was clear. Then I ran. But there were people everywhere!  
  
Panicking, I dove into a storeroom and hid in the laundry trolley, praying that no one would find me. The commotion outside was getting progressively louder. I just hope that they believed my subterfuge and thought that I had gone out the window. Shivering, I tried to curl up and make myself even smaller when I heard someone stumble into the storeroom.  
  
'Please don't find me...please don't find me...'  
  
The blanket that I was hiding under was abruptly thrown aside. I cringed, expecting to see a scary looking guard, but instead coming face to face with a girl who looked older than me only by a few years.  
  
It was so unexpected that my jaw dropped open and I just gaped at her. She must have thought that I was going to scream, because she hopped into the trolley and clapped a hand over my mouth while yanking the blanket over us.  
  
"I know I look suspicious but I'm not!" She hissed. "Just let me hide here for a second! Please!"  
  
We both kept still when we heard guards running around outside. Or rather, she kept still. I was still so stunned, that moving had not occurred to me. I had never seen anyone on this floor who wasn't Father, Relaie, a maid or a guard.  
  
After a while everything was quiet again. The girl threw off our cover with an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Whew...! Saved! I thought we would be caught for sure!" She turned to look at me and frowned. "Are you alright?" She smiled sheepishly. "I hope I didn't freak you out too much."  
  
I was still feeling cold all over. The shock of seeing a new person who was actually concerned about me though we'd never met before made me slightly hysterical. I tried unsuccessfully to stifle my sudden fit of giggles. My companion was looking at me very strangely. "I'm sorry..." I managed to gasp out. "It's just...you popped in so suddenly...I thought I was going to have a heart attack..."  
  
"Sorry about that. I'm Rosette Christopher. It's nice to meet you, Asmaria Hendric." That girl, Rosette, had an infectious grin. I liked her already, though I was slightly wary of her. She was most likely here for a reason, that being **me**. There was no way that she would have known my name if she were just some random guest, who had wondered onto this floor, no matter how unlikely that was. Everyone who had come looking specifically for me in the past had wanted me for a reason. The band had wanted me because of my voice. I had yet to find out why Father had adopted me. Surely this girl was the same. But for now, anywhere was better than here.  
  
Rosette was the nicest person I had met in quite a while. This may be my only chance to get away. I steeled myself for the biggest gamble that I would ever make. "Um...I know this may sound weird, us meeting for the first time and all, but..." She looked at me curiously and I finished in a rush before I could change my mind. you please kidnap me?"  
  
Rosette was shocked. "Kidnap you?! You were trying to run away?"  
  
I nodded. "I need to get out of here. Please take me away with you. It's what you came here to do, right?" Desperate, I grabbed her hand pleadingly.  
  
Rosette was looking even more baffled. For a moment, I thought that she would outright refuse out of suspicion. But then she grinned. "If in doubt, act first and think about it later. I've still got a mission to carry out after all. Ok then, I'll do my best to kidnap you."  
  
In a normal situation, I would think that I had gone insane for putting my fate into the hands of this girl. But my instincts told me that I could trust her, that I was doing the right thing.  
  
Just when I was thinking that everything would be alright, a voice shattered my hopes.  
  
"There you are Lady."  
  
I froze with dread.  
  
Relaie.

* * *

_Chrno:_

Sigh.  
  
Up and up and up I go. When will I stop? Hell if I know.  
  
I paused for a while and just stared upwards. Damn, this building goes on and on. I've been climbing for ages. The windowsills and ledges seemed to get narrower and less frequent. At least I was somewhat closer to the top than I had been the last time I had paused for a break. It was freezing cold out here and the winds got stronger the higher I got.  
  
Too bad I couldn't fly at will anymore. Those wings would have come in handy right about now. But I wouldn't exchange Rosette's precious time for something so trivial. So...it was good old-fashioned climbing for me. Luckily the ledges were spaced relatively evenly.  
  
The motion of climbing was so repetitive that my movements were becoming mechanical. Reach up, over, and pull yourself up. That's probably why I lost track of everything after a while and my mind started to wonder.  
  
What would that guy be doing in a place like this? The Viscount Relaie that I knew of would never have 'lowered himself' to that extent. To most demons, humans were a source of power, sustenance and amusement. They were usually not thought of as equals and definitely never as masters of demons. Even when contracts were made, usually the demon partner dominated over the human counterpart.  
  
There were many types of contracts, other than my own one, each entailing different terms and conditions. But it was nearly always to the detriment of the human, although it may not seem so at the beginning. Eventually, it would be the demon counterpart who gained. From what I had heard, typically only low ranked demons would make contracts with humans out of real need. These sorts of demons would temporarily fuse with humans to imbue them with 'magical' powers, but in the end they would consume the host from the inside until there was nothing left.  
  
Those of higher rank usually did it on a whim and then terminated the contracts and subsequently the contractor when they lost interest. They may fulfil whatever task the human required of them, but something would always be taken in exchange. This could range from sacrifices to physical pleasures, depending on the demon.  
  
How had this particular human, Ricardo Hendric, managed to contract a demon such as Relaie? What had Relaie been offered in return for his services?  
  
This brought me to think about my own contract with Rosette. It had been made hastily with the hope of rescuing Joshua, but in essence it was the same as the others. I had pledged my services to her in exchange for her soul. This was the cold simple fact and truth, no matter how noble our intentions were originally. Even if we did manage to rescue Joshua, I had still effectively reduced her lifespan. Unless the time that had been taken could be replaced, there was no way that she would avoid an early death.  
  
Suddenly, I realized that I had run out of ledges when I reached for one and found nothing but smooth wall. Hurrah! I had reached the top floor. Looking around, I spotted a balcony with a large stone gargoyle to my left.  
  
Hmm...through the windows, guards could be seen stationed everywhere. They were looking pretty worked up over something too. Rosette should be on this floor by now. Maybe I should contact her and see how she is...wait a minute...everyone was suddenly moving off towards one of the rooms. Intrigued, I edged towards another window for a better view.  
  
Let's see...people were backing out of the room now. A tall man was coming out and pulling a girl along. I squinted through the window. The 'man' was definitely Relaie and the girl was the Apostle Asmaria. What was she doing there? And where was Rosette?  
  
Crap! I nearly fell off my precarious perch when Rosette came out of that room as well. Oh this was bad. I had to do something.  
  
Suddenly there was a horrible screeching behind me. Turning around, I saw the gargoyle flying at me, before I was ploughed straight through the wall.

* * *

_Relaie:_

This was aggravating. The little Apostle had caused quite a ruckus tonight. She should not even have managed to leave her room.  
  
My curiosity was roused when I glanced at the female intruder. She was a pretty thing I supposed, by human standards. But that wasn't what interested me. It was her scent. It was very familiar, though I couldn't quite put my finger on why that was.  
  
**Crash!  
**  
Everyone turned to gape at the hole in the wall that had suddenly appeared. A boy was crawling out from under my gargoyle guardian.  
  
The girl gasped. "Chrno!"  
  
I went numb with shock. "Chrno?!" It barely registered that the girl was escaping with the Apostle. All of my attention was focused on the purple haired boy who followed them.  
  
That was Chrno? That was the Killer of a Hundred who had caused me such grief and resulted in my servitude to a human? Oh how the mighty have fallen. I had heard about how he had left the other Sinners for the sake of a human and the subsequent loss of his horns as a result of his...insubordination.  
  
A human had reduced his power, albeit indirectly. And now here he was dallying with another. He had obviously spent a great deal of time with her, since she was saturated with his scent. For Chrno to be alive and well after so long, it was safe to assume that the girl could be none other than his contractor. She was obviously very important to him.  
  
Even before being known as a Sinner, Chrno had had a peculiar fascination with humans. Freak as he was, he had never been directly reprimanded for this, due to his substantial rank. This was the most likely reason for his downfall.  
  
Disappointed as I was that there would be little chance of a rematch between us, it would be my pleasure to cause him a world of pain. I watched as they fell to the ground floor and bore witness to the destruction that they had caused. The humans in the casino were lying around in various states, having been crushed by fragments of the stone gargoyles.  
  
But first I would need to get rid of the human whom I called 'Master'. He would soon outlive his usefulness. The Apostle's power had been awakened. Coincidentally, this freak accident was just what we needed to trigger this.  
  
Glowing wings sprouted from the Apostle. There was such...purity. I wanted to taint it by dimming that light with despair and fear. Demons were naturally drawn to purity and innocence. We fed on it, giving back some of our darkness in return. I did not know how the Sinner had managed to resist his nature for so long.  
  
At least my human had been chosen for his status and wealth. What could the Sinner have hoped to gain by contracting the girl? It could not have been for pleasure. He had marked her, but had yet to claim her. A demon could easily tell such things when they see a human who has been chosen. It is not something which you see, but something which is felt. It was true that marking was a sign of ownership, but it also served as a form of protection from other demons, provided that the demon who had made the mark was well respected or feared for his or her power. Perhaps it was the latter which was the reason for Chrno marking his contractor. But such a mark would call to him and urge him to complete the process, as he inevitably would. Though he may repress it, a demon could no more change his nature than a leopard changes its spots. How unfortunate that he would be dead before he could do so. Perhaps I could even amuse myself with his little human after his demise and find out what he sees in her. With the power from the Apostle, I would not only be able to fully heal myself, but I would finally be able to exact brutal revenge on the Sinner.  
  
I could almost taste the raw energy being released by the Apostle when she used her healing powers. Inhaling deeply, I couldn't stop a slow grin of satisfaction and anticipation. There was so much power...

**_TBC_**

* * *

_**That's it for now. Again I apologise for the long wait. Hopefully the next chapter will be out within the week. I know this was like a rehash of the manga, but I just wanted to delve into the psyche of the characters and get a feel for them.  
  
My computer is so virused that it may crash at any minute. I'm going to wipe everything and reinstall, but hopefully everything will be fine and I can continue with this fic very soon. **_


	16. Chapter 16: Power

_Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo._

**_Warning: Slightly gory chapter. I don't think that it is enough to be 'R', but still, take note if you are sensitive to such things._ **

_**Author's note: **__**So here I go again. I actually have an idea for a new fic. I dunno if I should get stuck into it before this story is finished though. Still, I wanted to stake my claim on that idea, so I will be submitting a bit of it as a new fic to see what the general reaction is. Right after I finish this chapter here.**_

**__**

_NightElfCrawler, evilanimeblond22_

_Sorry for the shortish recap chapter. Inspiration did not come, so I just decided to expand on what happened in the manga a bit. Hopefully you'll be able to notice slight changes to the story in this chapter. They are not much though. I'm only using different means to reach a similar end. _

__

_kitsunedemon_

_Yay! My computer is more or less fixed. So here is the awaited update. Thanks for the review!_

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_RuByMoOn17, ruby-dream_

_Wow...same name Nice to see you again._

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_Zilleniose_

_Ooohh...can't wait to read your fic when it's done. When you say based on the first 13 chapters, do you mean like writing an alternate version of it or like a continuation from where I left off?_

_I think I'll wait for a while before deciding whether to split the story or not. I want to see how I will progress with this._

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_Lady Yami_

_Yep...definitely a happy ending for Joshua too. I haven't thought about how I'd go about achieving that, but rest assured he will not be killed by the recently swallowed axe murderer aka a very unfortunate hockey playing lumberjack who got lost in the dark. _

_You are obviously a Joshua fan. So tell me, how would you like to see Joshua portrayed? Give me inspiration. Thanks for the review. Hope to see you soon._

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_HypeRAzNChocobOGoddesS_

_Shrug...I just spelt 'Relaie' phonetically and in romaji. And I think this was how Anime Keep spelt it, so..._

_It is similar to the manga, but I've sort of changed little things here and there. The dialogue is not identical. As for Asmaria asking for Rosette to kidnap her, that inspiration came from me playing Final Fantasy 9. In the manga, Asmaria told Rosette not to tell anyone she was there because she was trying to escape. _

_I still sort of follow the manga, but I may deviate in certain places, as you will see in this chapter, hopefully. _

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_AnimeFreakVee52_

_Hehe...I hope it was the story, but it could have been a combination of both. My very first foray into a novel length fic. I hope you like it. Thanks for reviewing and I hope to see more of you in the not too distant future._

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_Kawaii Spinel Queen of Evil_

_Thank you so much for the review! It made me very happy when I read it. Nice to see you again._

* * *

**_Chapter 16: Power_**

_Chrno:_

__

Today started out just like any other normal day, except that we had Asmaria with us now. The Apostle had taken things into stride reasonably well, all things considered. She had been shocked to be woken up by unfamiliar people in an even more unfamiliar place, but had not freaked out as we had thought she would. Or maybe it was because she just didn't know how to react. Rosette's antics did finally get Asmaria to relax after a while.

Asmaria had been running around all morning looking for things to keep her busy. She had been totally accepting of the situation, even volunteering to help out with chores or wherever needed. A while ago she had gone off to help prepare tea for Sister Kate. With nothing better to do (Asmaria had done my share of the chores as well), I sat down to ponder about the Apostle. Outwardly, she seemed like a shy little girl with hardly any self-confidence. But there was a lot more to her than that. I could still sense traces of the awesome powers that she had tapped into that night. It had been a heady feeling, being so close to such power. It made me miss my horns all the more. I longed for the rush of being re-energised by astral.

"Chrno!"

I had looked up to see Rosette staring at me, exasperated. "What on earth are you doing there? Where's Asmaria?"

Good question. It shouldn't have taken that long just to deliver the tea. We had found her in the gardens eventually, after looking all over the place. She was crying, though she made a bad attempt at laughing it off. "I'm fine, really!" She claimed, forcing a watery smile.

Rosette and I looked at each other sceptically. I hurriedly stopped Rosette when she tried determinedly to drag Asmaria somewhere.

"Rosette." I murmured. "There's no need to take her anywhere. And it's not very safe anyway. Let me try and talk to her alone for a while."

She looked hesitant at first, but nodded reluctantly. "As long as you're sure that you're ok, Asmaria." Rosette then called to her. "I'm going to go to the Elder's workshop for a bit and see if he has anything new to play with. Chrno will take care of you until I get back."

I waited till she had gone before saying anything. Asking if she was alright would be stupid since she obviously was not. I decided to try a different tack. "Tell me about your past, Asmaria."

* * *

_Asmaria:_

My past? Why would he want to know about that?

This was so weird. I thought that he would ask what was troubling me, or something like that. The topic was so totally unexpected that for a moment I just gaped at him.

I hadn't wanted to burden Rosette with my troubles. How would she have reacted if I had told her that my band, those who had been more like family to me than my own kin, had all died because of me? She would have shunned me like the plague. I didn't want to be rejected again so soon, after having made my first tentative friend.

I didn't really want to tell Chrno either, but there was something about him that made me want to trust him. He seemed older and wiser than he looked, though he definitely seemed to be younger than Rosette. This same feeling also cautioned me to fear him. It was the same feeling that I got when I was near Relaie, except it was not as creepy with Chrno.

I began hesitantly. "Ever since my parents died I had gone from one relative to another. They were all kind enough to take me in..." Chrno's expression darkened as I continued to talk. His frown turned to a deep scowl when I moved from the band to Relaie. That look quickly disappeared though, once I stopped talking.

"And your powers?" He asked. "Could you tell me about those as well?"

Talking seemed much easier now that I had actually tried to speak with someone. Somehow, I found myself telling him everything. It was like a dam had burst inside of me, and what had originally been a trickle of information became a torrent of emotions as I poured my heart out for the very first time.

Chrno looked so very sad when I finally reined myself in. "You needn't be afraid of your powers Asmaria. They can be used to help people. And you don't need to feel that there is no one to turn to. Rosette and I will always be there to help you whenever we can." He sounded so confident and sincere. For the first time in ages, I felt a spark of assurance and hope. "Besides." he continued. "One thing that I've learnt from my time with Rosette is that life is often unpredictable and short. We should all do what we can in the time that we have. Try to live life to the fullest."

He gave me a charming smile, which I couldn't help but return. I had finally found other people, friends, who were willing to accept me for what I was. Perhaps it would be different this time.

"Did you enjoy yourself today, Lady?"

We both spun around at the familiar voice. Relaie stood there watching us with an amused smirk.

"Relaie!" Chrno growled.

Relaie had a terrible smile on his face as his attention focused onto Chrno. "I must say that I'm quite disappointed, Sinner. That is hardly a form which befits the traitorous one who defeated me and betrayed Pandemonium."

I was totally confused now. How did Relaie and Chrno know each other? What was going on? Chrno kept casting glances back towards the compound, in the direction where Rosette had gone before. Relaie noticed this and grinned nastily. "Looking for this?"

My eyes widened and Chrno tensed in shock and anger. One of Relaie's underlings had appeared beside him and was carrying someone. It was an unconscious Rosette.

"You were careless Chrno, to let your contractor wander away from you." Relaie's grin widened as he gauged Chrno's reaction. "I would not do anything rash if I were you. I'm sure that you don't want anything to happen to this girl." Chrno was shaking with rage. I cringed when Relaie turned towards me, while keeping his eyes on Chrno. "If you don't want your new friend to be harmed, Lady, come with me."

This was entirely my fault, as usual. I brought misfortune to anyone who tried to help me or get close to me. I nodded in resignation and headed towards him.

"Asmaria! No!" Chrno hissed.

"I'm sorry, Chrno." I turned to face him, genuinely apologetic. "This is the only way to save Rosette. Thank you for having taken care of me." Relaie reached out with a long arm and snagged my wrist, pulling me towards him. I winced, but turned to look at him. "I'm here now. Let Rosette go!"

Relaie laughed. "You really are naïve, Lady. Why would I do a thing like that?" There was shouting in the distance. People from the Order were coming towards us. Relaie levitated into the air. "Follow me if you can Sinner. I will be waiting for you."

I cried out with horror as Relaie threw a ball of light at Chrno. He was going to die and it would be my fault.

"NO!!!"

* * *

_Chrno:_

__

I should have died when Relaie threw that ball of energy at me. But I was still standing there, relatively unharmed, when all the dust cleared. A barrier had protected me. I turned to see Remington with a 'barrier cannon', a prototype that the Elder had been tinkering with.

Relaie had taken Rosette and Asmaria. And I had no way of reaching them. I could only watch helplessly as they flew off towards the blimp that hovered in the distance.

"How did that demon manage to get in here?" Remington wondered in disbelief. "Most demons should be avoiding this place, just from our reputation alone."

He had just answered his own question. The Order had grown complacent, secure in the 'certainty' that no demon would be stupid enough to attack where holy power was so heavily concentrated. This was no time for stupid questions though. "Who cares about how he got here. We need to go after him right now!"

* * *

_Rosette:_

__

I awoke to the sound of yelling. What? Why was I unconscious to begin with? The last thing I remembered was some strange butler and maid knocking me out. Where was I? Why couldn't I move?

There was someone bear hugging me from behind, preventing me from moving. As my eyes focused, I saw that the noise was coming from Relaie and Ricardo. The latter was furious with Relaie. "What did you think you were doing? It is too soon. The preparations are not complete. We do not know for sure whether this experiment would succeed or not. You should know better than to act without my permission." Strong metal chains shot out to constrict Relaie. Doubtless, the weird ring which Ricardo wore on the finger that was pointing at Relaie was controlling those chains. "Always remember who has the power here, Relaie."

Despite being in obvious pain, Relaie laughed. "Oh, but I do."

Ricardo frowned, then started in surprise when his servants reached out to restrain him. "What are you doing? I am your master!"

The chains vanished, leaving Relaie standing there slightly winded. Grinning, he stalked towards Ricardo. "I always remember exactly who is in control here. Thank you for your services 'master', but you are no longer needed. You should feel honoured that I am allowing you to perform one last duty for me, human."

I couldn't see what Relaie was doing, since he had his back to me. But as I watched, Ricardo's body began to shrivel until it was nothing more than a dried out husk. I'd been on enough missions to know what had happened and the realisation made my stomach turn. Relaie had sucked out his soul.

A familiar gasp made me turn around in surprise. Asmaria was behind me, shackled to a chair and connected to weird electrodes and wires. She had turned her face away and was quivering with shock.

"I see you've awoken."

I turned back to glare at Relaie through narrowed eyes with undisguised disgust. He dropped the shell of his former 'master' onto the floor. I felt sick. He turned his attention towards Asmaria. "What do you want with her, you freak!?" I screamed at him. He ignored me and walked towards Asmaria. I struggled, but the butler behind me had a vice like grip.

Relaie grinned. "You should be grateful, Lady." He said to Asmaria. "I am showing you the true purpose for which you were given these powers. With them, you will summon the Astral Line, from which I will be able to draw energy to return to my true form." He gestured to the sky, and I finally realised that we were in a vessel of some sort floating high in the sky.

He motioned to one of his servants who was stationed at one of the contraptions lining the walls of the room. A switch was thrown and the screams began. As Asmaria cried out with pain, a stream of green light appeared in the sky. The light started to flow into a receptor implanted in Relaie's chest. I thrashed even more furiously, but it was no good.

Asmaria continued to scream in agony. I continued to struggle helplessly as I watched. "Stop it!" I screamed. "What the hell are you doing to her?!"

Relaie laughed sadistically. He looked creepier than before, with all the flickering shadows playing across his features. That green light was the only reason that I could see him at all. I gasped in horror when he turned around. Not only did his skin seem to be melting off him, but he was definitely expanding to the point where I could tell that the ripping sound was not just coming from his clothes, but from himself as well.

"I'm letting her do what she wanted to do. She wished to help others, so I'm letting her help me. Her powers are regenerating me as we speak." Spikes violently thrust out from his torn skin as he continued to grow in bulk. Horrified but determined, I prevented myself from cringing when he stepped closer. "Am I really that fearsome? You should be accustomed to demons by now, having been with the Sinner for so long. How strange that you do not fear him. Are we not representative of the very things which you and your precious Order stands against?"

"Chrno is nothing like you!" I growled. "You are nothing but a soulless monster!"

Amazingly, Relaie laughed at that. "Of course we're nothing like each other. The Sinner is much more of a monster than I shall ever be." I recoiled when he peeled back the skin on his face to show his true appearance. There was a gaping hole in his cheek through which the teeth could be seen, which slowly closed up even as I watched, mesmerised. "But you do not believe me, do you?"

"Chrno is nothing like you!" I repeated, glaring at him. "He is kind and gentle, not an evil thing which takes advantage of noble self sacrificing people like Asmaria."

"Oh really?" He signalled to one of the servants at the control switches and the flow of green energy was stopped when the machine was turned off. Asmaria stopped screaming and mercifully fell unconscious. Casually, Relaie ripped off the rest of the tattered material, which had been his old shell. He was fully regenerated now. "From what I could see, you were not forced to become Chrno's contractor. There must have been something which compelled you to do that and it certainly does not seem to have been for your own benefit." I stiffened, causing him to grin. "Did Chrno not take advantage of you either when you forged the contract?"

"It wasn't like that!" I stopped myself before I blurted out anything else. There was no reason to tell this demon anything.

He smirked. "You say that he is kind and gentle. That is the side of him that he lets you see. But do you really know him? Do you know of his past and what he had done to earn the title of Sinner?"

When I thought about it, I really didn't know anything about Chrno, other than the fact that he was a hornless demon. "It's true that his past is a mystery to me." I admitted slowly. Relaie smirked and I glared angrily at him. "But I don't care about what he did before. That doesn't change who he is now. I know that he would never knowingly hurt me."

"Perhaps you won't be saying that when you realise how truly monstrous he is. Obviously you do not know as much as I had thought you would. No demon can ever truly change their nature. Remember this, young lady. We are creatures ruled by instinct, unlike you humans who act according to your emotions. Our instincts override our feelings and it is in our blood to cause pain to humans. Torturing others and drinking in their fear gives us a rush such as you couldn't imagine. This is something that all demons would have indulged in at some point. We can do naught but obey our nature."

Who does this guy think he is? He nodded at the person restraining me and I suddenly found myself pitched roughly forward. Suddenly free, I tried to back away as far and as fast as I could from Relaie, but was stopped when he reached out and grabbed me around the neck with his talons. "You know nothing about Chrno." I stated flatly, giving him a defiant glare.

* * *

_Relaie:_

__

I grinned. It didn't matter that the girl rejected what I said. The seeds of doubt had been sown and they would undoubtedly take root once she witnessed the truth for herself. What better way to get back at Chrno then to turn his contractor against him. For surely, she would fear him once his vicious side was revealed. Humans were fickle creatures after all. This girl would be no different. I couldn't wait until the Sinner arrived. It would be so much fun to provoke him in front of his contractor and show her his ugly and violent side.

"Master." It was one of my legion servants. "A small plane is approaching us. What would you like us to do?"

"Let it come unhindered, until the Sinner arrives. Once he is on board, destroy the plane." I ordered.

The girl looked perplexed. "You're just going to let Chrno come here? Why?"

"He and I have things to discuss." I grinned as I unsheathed my claws, pleased at her gasp of alarm and sudden apprehension. "And we have a score to settle."

* * *

_Chrno:_

__

This was suspicious. It was way too easy. I snuck through the corridors quietly. I had not encountered a single person during my trek through the blimp. It was unlike Relaie to have such sloppy security. Eventually, I came to a large shadowy room that was most probably the control centre. A figure was chained to a chair in the centre.

Asmaria!

Hurrying forward, I broke her free. "Asmaria! Are you alright? Asmaria!"

She came around slowly. "Ch...Chrno?"

I sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. We have to get you out of here. Remington is waiting in a plane outside..."

"Leaving so soon, Sinner?"

His maniacal laughter echoed through the room, but he himself could not be seen. I whipped around anxiously as Asmaria tensed. "Relaie!" I quickly pushed her behind me, gesturing for her to take cover behind that humungous torture chair that she had been strapped to. I then started looking for Relaie again. It was hard to pinpoint exactly where he was. "I won't let you take Asmaria again."

I was surprised when he laughed even more. "By all means, take her." He stepped out of the shadows and my eyes widened. "As you can see, I am finally free and fully regenerated. I no longer need the Apostle. But aren't you worried about the wrong girl? Isn't this one even more important to you?"

One of his arms had remained shrouded by shadow. He brought it forward, dragging a figure forward. I tensed in anger as I saw who it was. "Rosette!"

Relaie had his claws around her neck. She had made no sound because she was being slowly suffocated. She turned at the sound of my voice and renewed her struggle when she saw me.

"Feisty little thing, isn't she?" I bristled at the tone of voice that Relaie used. Rosette's hands, which had been beating uselessly at Relaie's hand, fell towards the clock at her chest. The next thing I felt was the incredible surge of power as she opened her soul to me and allowed me to revert to my true form. I had missed this.

Relaie laughed in approval. "That's it! That is the Sinner that I wanted to see!"

Growling, I lashed out with lightning speed. His mirth disappeared when he noticed suddenly that I had 'disarmed' him. "Temper...temper..." he said reproachfully, not the least bit worried about the severed limb.

I quickly put some distance between us, before putting Rosette down. "Are you alright?" I asked, concerned as she coughed and wheezed. It wasn't just the after effects of being strangled either. The breaking of the seal on the clock was physically draining her.

Rosette nodded. Surprisingly, she was mostly uninjured. "I'll be fine. You handle Relaie. I'll go and take care of Asmaria." I hesitated, seeing how she had difficulty breathing. She looked like she could barely stand on her own. But she gave me a reassuring smile and started heading towards Asmaria.

"Forget about the human, Chrno." Relaie called. "It is time for our rematch. I am here to avenge my brothers and to execute you for your crimes. You have disgraced your kind by associating with humans and serving them. I shall enjoy making you suffer."

I snarled. "It is you who will suffer for daring to harm Rosette." We leapt towards each other, claws out, each intending to kill the other.

* * *

_Rosette:_

__

Stupid demon! My throat felt like it had been mangled. Breathing actually hurt, but I forced myself to suck in deep breaths. It didn't help that the feeling of being drained was making it hard to concentrate. I stumbled over to where Asmaria was crouched.

She still looked a bit dazed. Making my way there, I quickly checked her over and was relieved to find her unwounded. "Rosette? What happened to Chrno?" I gestured to the demons fighting outside. Her eyes widened. "That's really him?

"That's right. He is Chrno, the Sinner...the one who lost his horns...the one who lost his rank. He is known by many names, but he is basically a demon." I grinned at the stunned expression on her face. "He doesn't look like it usually, does he? Anyway, let's talk about this later. We need to get you out of here."

The poor girl was still too disoriented and shaky on her feet. "What? How?"

"Chrno managed to get here." I explained patiently, while I dragged her along. "Someone must have flown him up here with a plane unless they catapulted him up here with a huge sling shot or something. All we have to do is find an escape hatch or even a large window or something where we can signal to the plane."

* * *

_Relaie:_

__

Chrno slashed at me again and again. The small wounds that he had inflicted I could easily heal due to the enormous amount of Astral that I had absorbed. He had obviously not used his true power for ages, yet he still had perfect control over everything. A shame that this control made him rein in his powers because he was worried about his precious contractor. I had no reason to rush. I was saturated with Astral, while the Sinner was solely dependent on his contractor. He would want to end this quickly and would eventually make a mistake. That would be the moment to strike. Unlike him, I had all the time in the world.

"This is really quite disappointing, Chrno. You have become rather weak. Do you really have time to play around like this? Why don't you just finish me off?" Oh that frustrated look was just delicious. He knew that he could not defeat me at this rate, so why would he hold back? Grinning, I blocked a particularly vicious and desperate attack. "Are you worried about your contractor?" I ducked to avoid a swipe that could have beheaded me. "The poor girl looked like she was in so much pain. And it's entirely your fault too. She looks so young. I can't help feeling sorry for her."

Ooh...I think I struck a nerve. Chrno's attacks increased in ferocity. Even then, he still hadn't slipped up once. I suppose this should have been expected from one as highly trained as he was. It wasn't luck that had earned him the title of "Killer of a Hundred".

The sound of a plane engine distracted us for a second. A plane was trying to get close to the blimp and attempting to pick up the Apostle. Strange. Why had my Legion not managed to capture the Sinner's contractor?

Oh well. While he was distracted, I backhanded him violently, sending him crashing into part of the blimp. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Sinner sit up painfully. It was such a pitiful sight.

The plane was getting too close though. I wouldn't let those humans escape so easily, especially the one who held such importance to the Sinner. I called out to him. "I wonder what you would do without your contractor? Let's find out, shall we?" I took aim with my cannon, waiting for the moment when realisation dawned on his face, before firing at where the girl was.

"Rosette! NO!!!!" The Sinner tried in vain to propel himself forward, but it was too late. The resulting explosion from my blast blew him back, away from the blimp. I couldn't help but laugh at the panicked expression on his face.

**CRACK!**

A bolt of something hit my receptor dead centre, cracking it and releasing the pent up Astral. I cried out in pain as my energy was suddenly depleted. I glared viciously with narrowed eyes at the place where the shot had come from.

Chrno's contractor was standing there with the Apostle behind her, protected by a crucifix barrier. That must have been why my Legion had not been able to approach her. The plane had moved away when I had fired at the girls, but now it was directly underneath them, waiting for them to jump off. I could not let this happen, but my power was fast disappearing.

"Need...Astral...!"

Spotting the Apostle, I dove towards her, dimly aware of the Sinner following after me. It didn't matter so long as I reached the girl. I needed power, and I would extract it raw from her if I needed to.

Chrno's contractor pushed her out of the way, so that she dropped onto the plane waiting below. I screamed in anger. She had gotten in my way. That would be her last mistake. Not slowing or changing my trajectory, I flew at her. If I were to be slain, then I would take the girl with me.

When I ploughed into her, my claws burrowed their way into her stomach. She gasped in pain, frozen in position. Before I could do further damage, the Sinner jerked me away from her with a roar of fury and smashed me through a wall. Briefly, I saw the girl sink to the floor in a spreading pool of blood, before Chrno's eyes dominated my field of view. It was the same expression of insanity as the last time when he had 'disposed' of me, only this time it was amplified many times over.

After that, all I knew and felt was pain and extreme agony as he proceeded to give me a painful reminder of just why he had been so feared and respected in Pandemonium in the past.

* * *

_Rosette:_

__

Pain.

It hurt everywhere. Why was I even still conscious? Who was screaming? Where was Chrno?

I dragged myself over to where I had seen Chrno and Relaie disappear to. What I saw then made me feel even worse than before.

Chrno was torturing him. It was wrong. This was not the Chrno that I knew. But then Relaie's previous words came back to haunt me. Did I really _know_ him? His eyes were totally feral as he ripped into Relaie with his claws. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to fight the feeling of nausea. I had to stop him.

"Chrno..." I called weakly. He didn't respond. Relaie had sunk to the ground in a limp bloody heap. Breathing heavily, Chrno gave him one last frigid stare before finishing him off with a swift blow to the head.

I couldn't believe that this was Chrno. "Chrno!" I dragged myself closer, even though my body was screaming at me for making it work when it didn't want to.

Chrno whirled around, claws at the ready. The wild look disappeared when our eyes met. He was at my side in an instant, worry evident on his face. But something was wrong. Chrno's face kept swimming in and out of focus and I starting to feel very cold. Was he saying something? Everything was muffled now.

* * *

_Chrno:_

__

She had lost so much blood. It was like déjà vu all over again. First Magdalena and now Rosette. Was it fate that every human that I loved would die in my arms?

It was all my fault. If I hadn't gotten so carried away...if I had killed Relaie sooner...if I hadn't let Asmaria get kidnapped...!!!

Asmaria!

She would be able to heal Rosette. I should have thought of that earlier, instead of sitting here panicking stupidly and feeling sorry for myself. I scooped her up as gently as I could, wincing as she gasped with pain. "Just hold on for a little longer." I pleaded her as we blasted out of the doomed vessel.

Hovering in midair, I scanned the area desperately. Remington's plane had landed nearby and there were people standing there looking up at me. I had last seen Asmaria dropping onto Remington's plane so she should be there as well. As I sped over, I was relieved to see that she was indeed with Remington.

Landing quickly, I placed Rosette onto the ground in front of the Apostle, before dispelling my powers and resealing the clock. Asmaria was frozen with horror, transfixed by the bloody sight. Remington had immediately knelt down to take stock of Rosette's condition.

"Asmaria, please!" I begged. "Rosette needs..."

I broke off when she immediately rushed forward, kneeling next to Rosette and placing her hands over the wound. She wore a determined expression as she concentrated on summoning her powers. Glowing wings sprouted from her back, and a golden light sprang forth from her hands. As she worked on healing Rosette, Asmaria spoke to me. "There was no need to ask. Rosette is my friend and I will do everything in my power to save her."

A while later, the light vanished and Asmaria slumped forward, unconscious. Remington caught her. While I was also concerned about the Apostle, Rosette was my first priority. But I needn't have doubted Asmaria's ability. Rosette was totally healed, though still unconscious. Relieved, I held her tightly. She was safe. For the moment, that was all that mattered to me.

* * *

**_TBC _**

**__**

**_What a monster chapter! It was so damn long to write! I'm looking forward to feedback for this chapter. Though I wasn't completely satisfied with how stuff happened, I hope it was ok for you guys. Please review to tell me what you think should happen next._**


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